Portland dreampop outfit Wooden Overcoat presents ‘Finally Arrived’, the second taste of the band’s debut Hello Sunbeam EP, featuring a hypnotic foundation of viscous Gooey guitars and deliberately slow thudding drums, creating a rhythmic trance-like pulse, locking in this dreamy soundscape.
The accompanying video was created by Italian multi-arts visionary Francesca Bonci, well known for her work with The Dandy Warhols, Pete International Airport and Slowdive’s Rachel Goswell, LA’s Tombstones In Their Eyes, Federale (The Brian Jonestown Massacre’s Collin Hegna), post-rock outfit The Quality of Mercury, and iconic British bard Philip Parfitt.
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Emerging from a period of digital isolation, ‘Finally Arrived’ weaves together a tapestry of personal mourning and romantic friction with a critique of the grand fantasies surrounding stardom. At its core, it examines the delicate nature of human connection, lamenting a cultural tendency to view individuals as replaceable assets rather than cherished companions.
Wooden Overcoat is the sonic brainchild of multi-instrumentalist Brant Hajek, having returned to music after a hiatus, recording songs he’d written in his late teens. What started as a practice in self-production transformed into a deep creative obsession with soundscapes and gear. Recording in a rented basement, Hajek built the foundation of the EP through spontaneous experimentation—often veering away from planned sessions to follow sudden bursts of inspiration.
“I wrote ‘Finally Arrived’ when I was thinking a lot about social media, which I was completely off of for many years. Like many songs, it’s actually about multiple things all at once. Some of it reflects my own experience at the time going through grief and relationship issues, and it’s also about the delusions many people have about fame, making it big, becoming larger than life,” says Brant Hajek.
“I think the through-line is actually about the fragility of our relationships to others in our lives. I was feeling that many people take others for granted and can sometimes treat people as expendable, which is something I find really sad.”
Earlier, Wooden Overcoat shared their shimmering debut ‘Home’, enveloping the senses in a reverb-drenched sanctuary and blending in sun-drenched textures. Between the wash of tape echo and reverb, the track finds a sweet spot where lo-fi garage psych meets 90s shoegaze, all anchored by layered harmonies and an evocatively intimate vocal delivery.
While Wooden Overcoat’s lyrics and aesthetics might suggest a certain darkness, they are often rooted in inside jokes and a sense of warmth. You could call it an exercise in productive contradictions. Hajek’s creative process is a deeply personal, layered journey involving mumbled placeholder lyrics and a patient wait for the specific spark that turns an ‘emotionally restless’ melody into a finished piece.
While Hajek performed every instrument on the studio recordings to preserve the project’s intimate DIY spirit, he has since found his tribe, assembling a full live band to translate these compositions to the stage. With Hajek leading on guitar and lead vocals, Wooden Overcoat is rounded out by Dillon Glusker on bass, Mac on guitar, and Brian Levin on drums and backing vocals.
The name Wooden Overcoat—an old Americana euphemism for a coffin—hints at the project’s core philosophy: a playful balance of moody, mystical imagery with light-hearted humor. Hajek’s creative process is personal, the rough versions eventually coalescing into vivid, emotionally resonant themes. In contrast, this music is vibrant, creating a fantastic dreamlike environment for lovers of life.
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Aural Aggravation 