The Makin Waves Song of the Week is “Tide and the Moon” from “Midheaven,” the debut EP of Asbury Park singer-songwriter Cory Blair. PHOTO BY SARA ABDELBARRY
Asbury Park-based indie singer-songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Cory Seyler, who makes music under the moniker Cory Blair, recently released her debut EP, “Midheaven,” to great acclaim.
“Tide and the Moon,” one of the six-song collection’s four singles, is the Makin Waves Song of the Week.
As the Makin Waves Song of the Week, “Tide and the Moon“ also can be heard between 6 and 8 p.m. on Aug. 21 on “Radio Jersey” at ThePenguinRocks.com. If you miss it, you can tune in any time in the archives at The Penguin, Mixcloud and RadioJersey.
“Tide and the Moon” features lead vocals, acoustic guitar, piano, and percussion by Cory, bass and backing vocals by Sara Abdelbarry, and drums, banjo, bouzouki, and additional percussion by Erik Kase Romero (The Front Bottoms), who recorded, mixed and co-produced not only the track but much of the EP.
“Midheaven” also features production by Luke Temple (Adrianne Lenker) and a lead single (“Other Side”) mixed by Grammy-nominated engineer Jorge Elbrecht (Japanese Breakfast, Sky Ferreira).
The EP was mastered by Joe Lambert.
“A lot of these songs started simply as melodies and lyrics drawn out playing a guitar at home, asking myself, amidst heartbreak and grief, what is really important when everything is gone?” Cory said. “Growing up on the Jersey Shore, I learned to revere the waves or get swept away. ‘Midheaven’ comes out of that same place. It is about the feelings you’re left with when you realize you can’t control what is out of your hands, and your only choice left is to surrender, shapeshift, and build something new.”
Driven by the live drumming of Natalie Newbold (Well Wisher), “Midheaven” leans into saturated guitar lines, bopping synths, and anthemic lyrical refrains — blending the DIY ethos of indie rock with towering, layered electronics.
Cory’s voice was meticulously shaped by her formative years surrounded by music in New Jersey and a transformative stint living in Berlin, where she immersed herself in electronic music and production. While in Europe, she collaborated with David Hedderman, contributing to his 2024 debut LP “Pulling at the Briars” produced by Conor O'Brien of Villagers. The experience inspired her to start recording her own music, and in 2024, she returned to New Jersey to do just that.
Cory recently celebrated the results with a release party at the Berkeley Backyard with Renee Maskin, the Asbury band Oblivion, Natalie’s latest project Gazee, and DJ Crash Doll on the bill.
“What I loved most about the ‘Midheaven’ album release party was the community of people who came together to bring my vision to life,” Cory said. “I deeply admire all of the artists I asked to play from their songwriting to who they stand for as human beings. I was lucky to collaborate on live visuals that pushed the themes of the album and the live performance further thanks to Eden Vitoff. It was really a huge collective effort, even though I was organizing every single detail, it wouldn’t have been possible alongside Joe Brown, aka Melting Trends, who handled all the logistics. Ultimately, it wouldn’t have happened without everyone’s belief and support from the broader music community in Asbury Park.
“I’m focusing on building relationships with college and public radio stations to promote the EP,” she continued. “I'm working toward booking a few East Coast tour dates to perform the music live for surrounding scenes. I’m also working on a visual version of the ‘Midheaven’ EP.”
You can hear “Midheaven” live when Cory performs Aug. 27 opening for Nicole Atkins at 90.5 the Night’s Songwriters on the Beach in Bradley Beach and Sept. 5 NJ at El Estudio Verde, Metuchen.
You also can stream the EP at Apple Music and Spotify.
Bob Makin has produced Makin Waves since 1988. Follow Makin Waves on Facebook and Instagram and contact Bob at [email protected].
