Dedication: An Interview With Long Island’s Coventry Carols

By Staff | August 2, 2026

Coventry Carols is a band that has endured a loss no band should have to deal with. They tragically lost their drummer, Terry “TT” Taylor, after the recording of their new album Open Up Fall Apart, yet they have made the decisions to soldier on. And what an album this is, reinforcing their alt rock credibility in the Long Island scene and beyond. With Jon Soda James on guitar and vocals and Cliff Catropa on the four string, expect Coventry Carols not only to bounce back, but to push the boundaries of not only what they are capable of as well as what music can mean to the listener. We had a chance to sit down with them for a wide-ranging interview.

Welcome! By the time this goes to print, Open Up Fall Apart will have already been released. How does this album depart from your previous material?

Jon Soda James, guitar/vocals: I think it’s a more “fully realized” version of the band. I mostly wrote our first record during COVID before a band was fully in place. It also has a few more years under our belts as a unit, together, which is and has been very important to our growth.

Cliff “Sugar Bear” Catropa, bass” I wouldn’t say it departs from our previous stuff, more like it took what Coventry Carols songs were and brought that on a further, more detailed journey. As Soda said, he wrote most of our debut album before the three of us were even a band, whereas for OUFA, although Soda was still the one to write and initiate all of the song ideas, TT and I played more of a role in “assembling” the songs than we had on the first album.

We loved the album, having attended the listening party (albeit virtually). What are you each most proud of about this record?

Soda: I love this record whole-heartedly. The fact that we even got it out is honestly a miracle. As proud of everything within the album as I am, I am just proud of our dedication to have it done and out and alive for people to experience. At that point, it will speak for itself.

Cliff: completely agree with Soda here, with all of the obstacles we hit along the entire path, I’m just exceptionally proud of our resolve in making sure the album got done and got out. It was a monumental task for sure. Beyond that, I’m proud of the fact that we stayed true to ourselves musically, we never concern ourselves with what people might think and that is even more evident than ever on this album. We just do our thing, fly our creative freak flags with no regard for how any of our quirky Coventry Carols twists may be received.

You recently tragically lost your drummer, Terry "TT" Taylor, the backbone of the group. What did he mean to the band, both as a musician but also as a human being?

Soda: TT was the loudest guy in the room, so naturally there is something large missing. He had a very artistic approach to drumming which always lent itself to what I presented as a songwriter so well. We certainly miss him.

Cliff: TT was the life of the party. Always. So yeah, there’s a very noticeable void here. As a human being? That’s tough to fit into a short answer, TT was quite a complex beast. But my best short answer is TT was the embodiment of love. If he loved you, he told you every single time you saw or spoke to him. And that is one of the best lessons I took from him after his passing. Never pass on an opportunity to tell someone what they mean to you.

Losing a member and friend is a major blow to any band. How do you plan on going forward with Coventry Carols while still honoring his memory?

Soda: Getting the record out was our main priority, and, it was a challenge for numerous reasons. But now, it is just starting its beautiful life in the Universe and is a part of TT’s legacy. I think we have done right by him by promoting and presenting this record as a duo. We have a number of interesting things we will present this year. Like the listening party, that was new for us. We always offer really cool and limited DIY merch. Most of the new stuff has and is close to selling out which has been incredible. As for much else, the future is honestly uncertain. But please, stick around.

Cliff: Well, since we sadly have had to promote this new record as a two man team instead of our trio, combined with the fact that we can’t currently play shows to promote/support, we (mostly Soda, really) have had to come up with new and creative ways to reach out to fans and potential fans, and honestly these new things have been fun, exciting and keeping us so busy. And that is our focus at the moment, the future is a conversation that Soda and I will have when the time is right. But anything and everything we do will surely be done with honoring TT in mind.

Your track Anxiety Flowers recently appeared on a benefit compilation late last year and you, Soda, were quoted in PunkNews. How did you feel upon seeing your name up there?

Soda: It was of course, wonderful. Quite honestly I think the band deserves all the love that wants to be given to us. We have a lot to offer and have worked hard to make this band what it is and to keep it going. Everyone has a story but if you know us personally you’ll understand that this project still being…”a thing” is largely in part to our genuine and authentic love to share this band with anyone who will listen.

What are your thoughts on the Long Island music scene right now, and what do you feel is your place in it?

Soda: I don’t want to offend anyone. The LI music scene is…what it is. As far as our place in it goes? I do not think there is much of a place for Coventry Carols within. I don’t wish to elaborate but that is my honest response to that question.

Cliff: The LI music scene isn’t necessarily kind to original bands, and even less kind to original bands that are atypical like we are. We really don’t fit in much here, so I’d say we don’t really have a place in it.

Cliff, you also play in the band Kill The Sun alongside our friend Chris Yee. How do the vibes of the two bands differ, and how would you describe your role in each?

Cliff: Oh, the vibes are extraordinarily different in several ways. In both bands I am surrounded by some of the best humans on this planet and I’m so grateful for that. But the biggest difference I would say is based on the fact that I was with Coventry Carols pretty much from its inception and played a big role in so many aspects of building the band up whereas with Kill the Sun, I’m still the “new guy”. I’m not the original singer and I played no role in writing the songs or building the foundations for the band, so in a sense I will always feel a bit like an outsider. Those very different roles lead to different vibes for sure, but the vibes are wonderful in both rooms.

Just for fun, if you could completely eliminate any major band or musical artist, in any genre, to make room for yourselves, who would it be and why?

Soda: Taylor Swift. She’ll be just fine.

Cliff: Oh, Motley Crue. F those guys.

Anyone you'd like to thank for their support, or any cool bands you'd just like to shout out?

Soda: Sugar, TT, Joey Z, Jay Catropa and Piper. BIG shout to our boyfriends in EGG!, Black Suit Youth and Flak Jacket.

Cliff: My brother Jay for sure. Always was and always will be my biggest supporter. Definitely Joey Z too, a personal friend of mine for decades he has not only always supported my ventures in music but his efforts, time and patience as our engineer go above and beyond. Soda for sure, always super supportive and encouraging, you can’t have a better bandmate. As far as thanks, I want to thank TT for his efforts - particularly on this new album. It’s the best work of his career and I know how proud he was of it… Thank you TT.

Official Website: https://coventrycarols.com

New album: https://coventrycarols.bandcamp.com/album/open-up-fall-apart