Ora Cogan is a road warrior.
The British Columbian singer-songwriter and performer was raised in a bohemian household, surrounded by music, art, and philosophical debate to working artist parents. This upbringing helped shape her early immersion in traditional folk and outsider music, which she has taken into very personal spaces.
I know Ora from having seen her perform all over this globe. A true traveling bard(ess), whether solo or with band, or sitting in with fellow musicians as part of their ensemble, music seems to flow through her like she flows through the tradewinds of the indie touring circuit.
Because of this dedicated workmanship, you might think she's be incapable of staying put in one place for an extended period of time, and yet her newest record, Hard Hearted Woman, is a true meditation on place. The entire process was immersively steeped in time well spent in Nanaimo with friends and loved ones; cold-water plunges, long river swims, late-night ruminations on art and politics, and long drives. How does an artist blend these two forms of operation with creative transmission?
Here's our conversation. Follow Ora Cogan on Bandsintown and catch her live on tour in 2026.
Hypebot: Congrats on Hard Hearted Woman. It’s a bewitching record, and like all your work, to me carries a heavy sense of nature-borne mysticism. Do songs like these come together in studio, before that at home, or on the road usually?
Ora: "I write in a chaotic way. I try to avoid being too focused so I sketch songs a lot. I’ll write lines while I’m walking or driving, when I’m on the road, I’ll sit at cafes or in my studio or home."
I don’t have a fixed place because I don’t want the pressure. Really anywhere I don’t feel observed."
H: You’re definitely a strongly-voiced songwriter, but your work is also elevated by others thanks to your openness as a collaborator. How have your bandmates and co-creators moved pieces beyond your vision, and is that a process that’s come together over time?
O: "I work with a lot of incredibly talented artists. I think collaboration is one of the best parts of music."
I’ve been working with Tom Deis for over a decade, David Parry for about 7 years now and Finn Smith for 4. Nancy Pittet, my bass player has been with me for about three years now. She is always coming up with incredible lines. She is playful and brilliant. I’d say the same for Finn Smith. He is one of the best drummers around and has a really fun and thoughtful approach to everything he does."
I feel like we’re all doing what we can to serve the songs, to listen to each other and try to make something together that feels right. I am humbled that any of them take time to work with me and when I write songs I try and write songs that will be interesting and meaningful for all of them to play."
H: Can you talk about the themes of this album a bit?
O: "I’ve never been able to focus on a theme. All I can say is I’m reckoning with the same messed up world a lot of us are heartbroken about, I’m trying to understand what it means to be alive, how to take on the responsibilities I have, how to be loving and a good person, how to move towards personal and collective liberation, how to work with my shadow…"
I'm just asking questions out loud. I’m trying to have a sense of humour too."
"I'm trying to take risks so I'm not sorry if it’s not polished enough. If people want to listen to a human that doesn’t make mistakes or play wrong notes once in a while they can find plenty of other artists!"
H: How does this record depart from previous albums?
O: "I felt a need to be more clear and more vulnerable. I actually wanted to do something totally different but I felt a need to go more tender, more simple and more loving. It was a strange and challenging process. There were a lot of tears. It was a frustrating process. David Parry also brought out the folk a bit more in these songs."
H: Are there songs that trip you up playing live?
O: "Not any song specifically, no. I struggle with dyslexia and probably ADHD so I guess life can trip me up. I also take risks as a musician and improvise so that can go all sorts of ways but I’m also not trying to be perfect, that is a choice. I think perfection is boring."
I'm trying to take risks so I'm not sorry if it’s not polished enough. If people want to listen to a human that doesn’t make mistakes or play wrong notes once in a while they can find plenty of other artists!"
H: What’s something you’ve learned by spending time on the road?
O: "That there are good people everywhere. There are kind people everywhere. You get to meet people from all walks of life as a touring musician. It is a great privilege to get to do this."
H: How do you prepare for tours usually?
O: "It depends on the material we’re playing. We usually rehearse a lot and spend time jamming and improvising together. Thinking through gear is for sure a part of it. I’m starting to turn into a pedal nerd. Playing music live is infinitely challenging, so trying to game out how to deal with the challenges and what will best serve the music is a big thing."
Sometimes changing arrangements to serve a live room verses a recording session is the biggest thought in my mind. What will and won’t work in different settings, for example. Thinking through the kind of acoustic spaces, the types of venues we’re going to play on that run."
"Sometimes you just need to stare at a wall."
H: Is touring hard on the body for you? What do you usually do to keep in shape or stay healthy?
O: "It is so hard! Sometimes I’ll make an effort to go to the gym or sneak into a class on a day off. I try to make sure we all eat healthy and get sleep, drink water… I’m a bit of a health goth. I don’t drink so that helps."
Sometimes I have to take vocal rest during the day... It is really tricky."
H: What do you like to do on your days off on tour?
O: "I don’t want to take the opportunity to be a tourist for granted. I try to check out as much as possible or connect with friends. We all love vintage shops and snacks so that is a big thing. I try to say hello at the local record stores!"
Sometimes you just need to stare at a wall."
H: What’s your favorite aspect of going on the road?
O: "Getting to meet so many different people and get little windows into different music communities is really special, getting to experiment live with the band is also really magical sometimes when things go off in different directions you don’t expect."
H: As a fan, who are some artists you’ve seen play live recently that have blown you away?
O: "One Leg One Eye for sure. Lido Pimienta. (My friends haha!). I think Ida Maidstone who plays synth with me is incredible. Finn Smith who drums with me has a project called The Bingus Art Ensemble that rips."
H: What’s your favorite post-concert food to eat?
O: "Just a little bit of greens! Like I’m a little deer! JK I love pizza."
Ora Cogan 2026 Tour Dates
APR 30 — Nanaimo, BC @ Ora Cogan with Ida Maidstone
MAY 01 — Nanaimo, BC @ The Vault
MAY 02 — Olympia, WA @ Wild Child
MAY 03 — Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios
MAY 05 — San Juan Bautista, CA @ Coyote Call Bar
MAY 06 — Los Angeles, CA @ Zebulon
MAY 08 — Tucson, AZ @ Slow Body Beer
MAY 09 — Santa Fe, NM @ El Rey Court
MAY 10 — Arenas Valley, NM @ Whiskey Creek Zócalo
MAY 14 — San Diego, CA @ The Banshee Bar
MAY 15 — Oakland, CA @ Thee Stork Club
MAY 16 — Nevada City, CA @ Honey Hills Festival 2026
MAY 17 — Arcata, CA @ Outer Space Arcata
MAY 19 — Seattle, WA @ Substation
MAY 20 — Victoria, BC @ The Other Guise Theatre Society
JUL 23 - 26 — Calgary, AB @ Calgary Folk Music Festival 2026
JUL 30 - AUG 02 — Happy Valley, OR @ Pickathon 2026
