Coriky

A trio featuring some of the most influential figures on the Washington, D.C. punk/independent music scene, Coriky also brings together three closely associated artists in a unique configuration. The band features Ian MacKaye of Minor Threat and Fugazi on vocals and guitar; Joe Lally, MacKaye’s former Fugazi bandmate and a member of the Messthetics, on bass and vocals; and Amy Farina, formerly with the Warmers and MacKaye’s collaborator in the duo the Evens, on drums and vocals. The group’s self-titled debut album, released in 2020, showed the audible influences of the participants’ previous projects, grafting the low-key approach and vocal blend of the Evens with the fierce dynamics and ambitious rhythmic structures of Fugazi.
Given that the trio comprises three longtime friends, it came as little surprise that Coriky had been slowly incubating for years before making their official debut. According to the group, MacKaye, Lally, and Farina began making music together in 2015, not long after Lally returned to Washington, D.C. after living in Rome for several years. The new group was kept under wraps until November 2018, when the trio, still without a name, performed what they called an “open practice” as part of a benefit for Loaves & Fishes, a Washington, D.C. organization that provides free meals for the homeless and economically underserved. The group’s pedigree ensured there would be considerable buzz about their live debut, but it would be nearly a year before they officially revealed their name after staging another two shows. In February 2020, Coriky delivered their first track to the public, a number called “Clean Kill.” The song was a preview of their first album, Coriky; initially, it was scheduled for release on March 27, 2020, but as many distributors and record shops were temporarily closed due to the COVID-19 virus, the set was postponed until later in the year. ~ Mark Deming