Singer-songwriter Cory M. Coons returns to his roots on The Sun Sessions, embracing vintage analog recording, timeless rock ’n’ roll influences, and heartfelt storytelling while reflecting on two decades of artistic growth.
1. Returning to Sun Studio is iconic — what was it like recording The Sun Sessions in the birthplace of rock ‘n’ roll, and how did that environment influence your performance?
Hello! And thank you for this opportunity!
Recording at the legendary Sun Studio was an absolutely amazing experience… The vibe was so totally cool, and of course completely “retro”, which I absolutely loved!
I have always been a big fan of classic 50’s rock n’ roll, and just the way things were done back in the day, with the vintage style of recording, and techniques… So honest and unforgiving at times… You can almost feel the ghosts of the legendary performers who once dawned that studio floor, like Elvis, Cash and Perkins along with the iconic producer, Sam Philips. Perhaps that crept through in some form as well, with the vibe of that session… ? 😉 I totally wanted a vintage feel, with “live” takes, and minimal punch-ins. “Crumbs ’24”  was done completely in one take, and live-off-the-floor!
2. “Crumbs ’24” marks the 20th anniversary of your original single. What inspired you to revisit the song, and how did recording it live in one take change its emotional impact?
I wanted to do something different, special and unique with this 20th anniversary version of the song… Stripping it back to its bare bones, and just letting the song speak for itself the way it was originally written on my acoustic guitar, (the same one I used on this session, was the guitar I wrote the song on at home in Ontario so many years ago). 🙂 I have been performing this song live onstge for over 20 years, sometimes solo acoustic, and sometimes in a full band atmosphere. So recording it “live” in one take seemed like just a natural thing to do. Just minimalistic, raw, and truthful to it’s story in the most basic form!
3. Your new single, “Memphis Whiskey Blues,” channels the soulful spirit of Beale Street. Can you walk us through the story behind the lyrics and how you captured that smoky, bluesy atmosphere in the studio?
So this song is actually a bit of a re-imagining of an old demo I had previously, called “Mountain Station Blues”. Which was originally about the town of Mountain, Ontario, not far from where I am from here in Eastern Ontario… But I had this thought, that since I was going to be recording in Memphis at Sun, that this would be such a cool way to re-invent the song with a new little blues and Americana twist, into something that really captured the spirit and vibe of Memphis, Sun Studio and Beale Street back in the day, and perhaps it might lend a conversation with ghosts of past who have frequented this iconic music scene. Just more like a continuation of what’s been done, and trying to stay as true to that as I could. 🙂
5. Recording live-off-the-floor with vintage mics and reel-to-reel tape is a bold choice in today’s digital age. What drew you to this analog approach, and what do you feel it brings to the listener’s experience?
I just love that sound and style of recording! Bold, honest and unfiltered! No auto-tune or over polished production, just raw authenticity. There’s too much gloss and overproduction I find these days in some new music, and the true art of recording really gets lost, along with the soul of the music gets left behind I feel. This is what real music was supposed to be, mostly live takes, and a very earthy sound… There’s nothing like recording to tape. And the way they stay true to the vintage sound at Sun, with the slap-back echo type of thing on the vocals, is just such a cool thing!
6. Looking at your career from “Crumbs” in 2004 to The Sun Sessions in 2025, how has your songwriting and perspective as an artist evolved over the past two decades?
I think as an artist and songwriter, we are always evolving in some way… I have learned a lot over the years from recording with different producers and engineers, and in different studios all over North America, from Ontario to Los Angeles & San Francisco, to Vancouver WA, and now Nashville & Memphis!
I think my perspective still remains relatively the same, in that I always try to stay true to myself as an artist and songwriter, and hope that my music and message will truly resonate with my listeners and fans!
I thank you so much for this interview opportunity once again!
Cheers~
CMC…
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