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(From left) Illiterate Light members Jake Cochran and Jeff Gorman
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The magic trick of Jake Cochran and Jeff Gorman of Virginia-based duo Illiterate Light is to deliver driving, multilayered alt-rock soundscapes with a minimal lineup and without looping or other technical assistance. They create the illusion of a much larger band, with guitar and percussion-driven songs accompanied by a seamless trade-off of bass and synthesizer lines. For the past decade, Illiterate Light have toured and developed a dedicated fan base. Their June 14 show at The National, supporting their new album, “Arches,” will be a homecoming.
There has also been a homecoming of sorts for Cochran, who recently moved with his wife from Nashville, Tennessee, to Richmond’s South Side. Soon after relocating, Cochran's wife gave birth to their son. “I feel very tied to this city, but I never lived here before,” Cochran says. “My grandparents lived in Bon Air, and both of my parents grew up here.” Despite Nashville being a hub for music, the distance from Gorman, who has always lived in Harrisonburg, was a problem. “There is a spirit to this band that needed to be closer, living lives together. Not just going on tour and then separating,” Cochran says.
The partnership started when they met at another friend’s one-off gig as students at James Madison University. They played in a college band that fell apart after graduation. Others moved on. “We faced the reality that if we want to do this thing the way we needed, it was going to just be the two of us,” Cochran says. “That is a vision we carry to this day.”
Their close relationship is central to the nonstop trust fall of their music. Their commitment to real-time creation requires Gorman to have, in addition to multiple guitar pedals, a synthesizer keyboard at his feet. Cochran utilizes sample pads that are programmed with bass and keyboard parts, which he plays like a xylophone.
The songs are collaborative, too. “We are both songwriters, but for Illiterate Light, a vast majority are Jeff’s,” Cochran says. “We start independently with chords, lyrics and melodies. [When the song is] somewhere between 50% and 70% complete, we come together, and it morphs into its final stage. It is a collaboration, but the person who started the song gets the final say. It allows us to maintain artistic control where it matters.”
The duo’s strong friendship has survived weeklong bicycle trips, running an organic farm and up to 150 high-energy shows a year at small to midsized venues. It’s both a joy and an uphill battle. “Some cities we’ve been to 15 times, and the turnouts aren’t as big as we expect,” Cochran says. “Then, places like Chicago and Denver have fans who travel long distances to see us. But there is nothing like playing in Virginia.”
Cochran describes the upcoming Richmond show, where he expects to know almost half the crowd, as “the most rock star moment of my life.” He says they sold out the 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C., in January, but The National will be the largest venue they have ever headlined. It is a lot of space for a duo to fill — but they bring a big sound.
Illiterate Light performs at The National at 8 p.m. June 14. Tickets are $25.
