With Cope, released on December 10, 2025, Scott’s Tees offers a quietly powerful meditation on winter, introspection, and emotional survival. Emerging from Edmonton, Canada—a city where long, dark winters are a lived reality rather than a metaphor—Scott’s Tees channels seasonal isolation into a single that feels deeply personal yet universally relatable. It is a thoughtful step forward for an artist steadily carving out a distinct voice in the indie landscape.
At its core, Cope explores how the absence of sunlight can subtly reshape our emotional state. Rather than framing winter as purely bleak, the song embraces its duality: the heaviness of low moods balanced with the clarity that comes from slowing down. This tension runs through the track’s structure, where gentle, reflective verses give way to a chorus and pre-chorus built on release and emotional lift. The result is a song that doesn’t wallow, but instead breathes—allowing sadness and hope to coexist.
Sonically, Cope sits at an intersection of indie folk, shoegaze, and alternative rock. Influences from Bon Iver, Iron and Wine, and Smashing Pumpkins are present, but never overpowering. Bon Iver’s imprint can be felt in the song’s open structure and intimate guitar work, while Iron and Wine-inspired harmonies add warmth and vulnerability. Meanwhile, the guitar tone and atmospheric layering nod to Smashing Pumpkins, lending the track a hazy, dreamlike edge that deepens its emotional pull.
What truly sets Cope apart is its production approach. Recorded entirely in Scott’s bedroom, the single blends analog and digital techniques in a way that feels intentional rather than lo-fi for its own sake. An old multitrack recorder was used as the foundation, later refined digitally, preserving a sense of rawness while achieving clarity. The hard-panned vocal harmonies create a feeling of fullness and immersion, wrapping the listener in sound and reinforcing the song’s introspective mood. This DIY process not only highlights Scott’s technical creativity, but also reinforces the authenticity of the track—nothing here feels over-polished or distant.
As a solo effort, Cope reflects Scott’s Tees’ ability to handle every aspect of creation, from songwriting to production, with care and restraint. The lyrics avoid overstatement, instead capturing emotional truth through subtle imagery and mood. It’s a song that understands the quiet weight of winter, especially in northern climates, and translates that experience into something both intimate and reassuring.
Cope stands as a compelling release that confirms Scott’s Tees as a promising voice in contemporary indie music. It’s a song for late evenings, dim light, and moments of reflection—proof that even in the coldest seasons, there is room for warmth, clarity, and resilience.