SPILL MUSIC PREMIERE: COR DE LUX – “BLIND SMILE”

COR DE LUX – “BLIND SMILE”

A SPILL EXCLUSIVE MUSIC PREMIERE

Cor de Lux, Ipecac Recordings’ latest signing, release a new song from their forthcoming Ipecac debut, YEAR OF THE HORSE (out Sept. 18), with today’s release of “Blind Smile” . The track nods to ’90s alt-rock while pushing forward with the North Carolina quartet’s wiry guitars, propulsive rhythms, and instinct for turning melodic ideas slightly sideways, with producer J. Robbins (War on Women, Mary Timony) helping capture the band’s raw, immediate energy. “Blind Smile” is an unexpectedly warm introduction to the band, built around the idea of finding the freedom to be completely yourself. The song was inspired in part by vocalist/guitarist Dawn Moraga’s deaf cousin and his unselfconscious laughter, as well as bassist John Bliven’s experience filming a visually impaired fishing tournament. It’s a fitting entry point into YEAR OF THE HORSE, where Cor de Lux balance abrasion and melody without settling too comfortably into either one.

ARTIST QUOTE

“My cousin is deaf and his true laugh that isn’t altered from what he thinks he should laugh like is one of the most joyous sounds. I think this song is about for me personally trying to find that freedom to not care about what people think of me and to dig deep to find the real. It came together with John and I talking about the beauty from a true smile… the blind smile.” ~Dawn Moraga

“The title for ‘Blind Smile’ came about because I wanted to illustrate an event that inspired and humbled me when I was a videographer during a Visually Impaired Persons (VIP) Fishing Tournament, an event that brings hundreds of VIPs to the Outer Banks every year. I got to witness the most joy filled smiles I’ve ever encountered as they felt the scales of the fish and commented about the texture and sliminess as they saw with other senses.” ~John Bliven

Cor De Lux
Year Of The Horse
(Ipecac Records)
Release Date: September 18, 2026

Artist Links

Background Photo Credit:  Olivia Jean Howell