Enchanted return
Tacocat singer looks forward to playing at Meow Wolf
Emily Nokes has been told by numerous friends about performing at Meow Wolf in Santa Fe. And she’s counting down the days until she and Tacocat perform in the Land of Enchantment.
“It feels like it’s been forever,” she says of playing in New Mexico. “We spent the majority of last year on the road. We were only home for a few months this winter.”
Nokes, along with Bree McKenna, Lelah Maupin and Eric Randall, began the band in 2007.
The four met while living in Longview, Wash., and the friendships eventually led to the formation of the band. The four also bonded over loving 1990s music and Kevin Costner’s film “Waterworld.”
The band gained popularity with the release of its 2014 album, “NVM.”
It is also known for its humorous songs addressing feminist themes.
But there’s a bit more on Nokes’ mind lately.
“I’m trying to clear my head, especially in this political climate,” she says during a recent interview from her Seattle home. “We actually just started writing the music parts for some new songs. It’s taking me a while with the lyrics because I’m trying to separate myself from what’s happening in the country and the world.”
Nokes says when she’s decompressing and begins writing, she doesn’t listen to anything.
She enjoys keeping a quiet room.
“If there’s too much going on, I am overwhelmed with ideas,” she says. “I have to sit down and do what I intended to do.”
After 10 years of playing together, Nokes says, Tacocat is comfortable with making music.
The majority of the set list for the Meow Wolf show will be from 2016’s “Lost Time.”
“Usually, we don’t do a ton from our early stuff,” she says with a laugh. “Those songs are just so short. We’d need to perform 12 songs to make it to 25 minutes. And honestly, I really can’t scream the way I used to on those songs. My range has changed. I’ve tried to sing some of those old songs, and it hurts my voice. So there will be no singing those songs unless the arrangements change.”