MINT FATIGUES
(MISSOURI)
Mint Fatigues is the indie-pop songwriting project of Missouri born 20 something Cole Simmons. To paint on the Mint Fatigues canvas, Simmons requires many brushes. Taking inspiration from all corners and eras of music, Cole finds references everywhere but not limited to: the anthemic tendencies of 90’s britpop, early aughts femme tenderness, and swirling textures of shoegaze & all things alt. Mint Fatigues (formerly known as Brat Pitt) found his pivot point in 2022 in order to stand out from the titular acting heavy weight’s chokehold on search engines. The converted project name didn’t leave behind the debut EP “First One” or single, “Snap Dragon” featuring labelmate and Kansas City native, Daniel Gum. The newest single “Pastime” picks up where the former catalog left off while upping the ante on production and undeniable hooks.
With Cole’s heart on his sleeve, “Pastime” places the listener in his shoes – a friend reaching out to another in the midst of a tumultuous relationship. Among the performances by our primary songwriter, the pillowy sound bed is graced by TOLEDO (mixing & rhythm section) and frequent collaborators Grady Philip Drugg (guitar), Ephraim McFarland (keys & bgv’s), Jenna Bulger (bgv’s) and Calvin Todd (pedal steel). The visual for “Pastime” is equal parts short film and music video, somehow intertwining conspiracy pastiche and enchanting jingle. Filmmakers Kaylinn Clotfelter and Jack Duffy purposefully juxtaposed the song’s soaring choruses with the video’s foreboding abstraction of a man lost in a strange world. “Pastime” is the first of the many offerings by Mint Fatigues in 2023 and beyond.
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“‘Pastime’ are vocal harmonies, synths, electric guitar licks, and some surprising chord changes that add layer upon layer of complexity to what could have been a too-simple summer jam. Pastime refuses to be that. Instead, Mint Fatigues draws on their many influences from 90’s Britpop, shoegaze, early aughts femme, and alt-rock to create a pop fusion that just works. “ - Glide Magazine
“A dusty, colorful rush of inner turbulence channeled through spellbinding songwriting and fiery music akin to bands like Hovvdy and TOLEDO (the latter of whom joined Simmons to help bring his latest song to life).” - Atwood Magazine
A well-curated mix of guitar chops, moods, and emotional heart-on-sleeve crooning, ‘First One’ is as fun and sincere as it is diverse and wide-ranging. - The Local Joke
Clearly, Coal Simmons has a green thumb for grooves because Brat Pitt’s EP First One plants the seed for sweet sounds of introspection to sprout from your ears. - Manor Records Blog