Portland dreampop outfit Wooden Overcoat presents their debut “Hello Sunbeam” EP, a sweet spot where lo-fi garage psych meets 90s shoegaze, all anchored by layered harmonies and an evocatively intimate vocal delivery. The focus track “Heaven Right Now” is a reverb-soaked desert psych-rock track about hidden emotional fractures, shared suffering, and how people quietly break under pressure.
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.
“Recording this EP almost ruined my life, and I hope it sounds like it. Each song is its own little world, in which I lost myself. With childlike wonder, exploring concepts and sounds, I was inspired to make something new each time just to keep the wheel turning. I loved the feeling of momentum, knowing I was creating something out of thin air and maybe grabbing ahold of something slippery and evasive. There’s a feeling of satisfaction I can’t compare to anything else that I get when listening back to something fresh,” says Brant Hajek.
“Over countless hours tinkering away with mics, pedals, amps, preamps, and the overall process of tracking and layering guitars, I wanted to make something that sounds old but fresh. I want something that sounds warm and dense, but somehow also airy. I think I achieved that. The curse of any recording artist is wishing you could go back and do it all differently. But instead of beating it to death, I want people to hear the rawness of the result of someone finally figuring out how to a make a record.”
Hajek’s creative process is a deeply personal, layered journey towards the spark that turns an emotionally restless melodies into finished pieces. While he himself performed every instrument on thise EP, Wooden Overcoat is now a full band, bringing these tunes to the stage. With Hajek on guitar and lead vocals, he is joined by bassist Dillon Glusker, guitarist Mac and drummer Brian Levin.
The band debuted with the shimmering single “Home”, enveloping the senses in a reverb-drenched sanctuary, blending in sun-drenched textures and a wash of tape echo and reverb, followed by “Finally Arrived” with its viscous guitars, slow thudding drums, rhythmic trance-like pulse and dreamy soundscape. A tapestry of personal mourning and romantic friction, at its core, it examines the delicate nature of human connection, lamenting a cultural tendency to view individuals as replaceable assets.
The video for both singles were 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.
“This EP was written at a dark time in my life. My mother was diagnosed with cancer, the world was flipped on its head and never really recovered, political turmoil and conflicts overseas dominated the collective conscious, and it profoundly affected me. My relationship was suffering from cumulative stress and I can now see how it came through in what I created. Themes of beauty that doesn’t last, self-sabotage, dissociation, cynicism, and desire for connection but feeling removed from it,” says Hajek.
“To me this album is about romanticism vs. reality. “Hello Sunbeam” is something I might say to myself when I’m having a bad day, joking about how grumpy I’m being. But it’s also something I might say when I look outside to see the clouds are parting for a bit and maybe things don’t have to be so dreary.”
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.
On May 29, the “Hello Sunbeam” EP is available from digital platforms everywhere, including Spotify, Apple Music and Bandcamp. Wooden Overcoat performs next on May 30 at Swan Dive, along with Jewelry Exchange and Only Only.
TRACK LIST
1 . Home
2 . Finally Arrived
3 . Heaven Right Now
4 . I Knew You Would
CREDITS
Written, recorded, mixed and mastered by Brant Hajek
Performed by Brant Hajek
Recorded in a house in Portland, Oregon
Only humans made this art
Cover art + photo by Brant Hajek
Band photos by Brett Chauncey
Videos by Francesca Bonci
Publicity by Shameless Promotion PR
