By Greg Prato
For Travis Stever, collaboration has always been about chemistry — the unpredictable spark that happens when different musical worlds collide. That spirit is at the heart of his latest work with Soren Song, a project rooted less in the progressive rock bombast of Stever’s main band, Coheed and Cambria, and more in intimate storytelling, psychedelic folk textures, and deeply personal songwriting.
The partnership grew organically after Stever returned to his hometown area of Nyack, New York, where a shared appreciation for classic Americana, folk, and emotionally honest music quickly turned a neighborhood connection into a creative bond. The result is a series of songs that reveal a different side of the longtime Coheed and Cambria guitarist — one shaped as much by artists like Neil Young and The Band as by the expansive sci-fi landscapes of his main band.
In this conversation with VintageRock.com, Stever reflects on the emotional themes behind the single “Enough,” the creative freedom he finds outside of Coheed, the enduring legacy of the Afterman albums, and why collaboration continues to push him into new musical territory after decades on the road.
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How did the collaboration with Soren Song come about?
In 2016, our family moved back to Nyack, New York, in Rockland County after many years of living in Warwick, New York. I grew up in Rockland County. There have been many great musicians to come out of that area through the years. My brother in law had been telling me about a great piano player singer/songwriter in Nyack. I started to hear about this same artist from other musicians as well. Turns out that artist was Soren Song. Amazingly enough, Soren happened to live across the street from the house our family moved into in Nyack.
We became immediate friends and bonded over music we shared love for. I became a massive fan of Soren’s work. One day, we decided to work on music together and we created the song “Meet My Body” which is on our first EP, The Nyack Chapter. Through the years we have worked on songs together but have just started to compile and release them now. In the process, we got our super talented friend Jonathan Hape of the band Narrow/Arrow involved. He plays multiple instruments and acts as a producer for the project.
What are some memories of writing “Enough,” and filming its video?
The story of “Enough” began with me sending Soren the acoustic guitar part, which they immediately connected to. The song itself came from Soren’s journey of working through childhood trauma and the stories they had inherited or learned to tell about themselves — stories that no longer served them or were never really true. It was their attempt to write a better, more honest narrative: one where they’re not broken or lacking, but simply “enough” — not “too much” or “not enough,” just “enough.”
I reached out to my cousin, Skyler Stever, to direct a video. Initially, we envisioned something simple, like shots of us playing the song live. But when Skyler and his wife Jen heard it, they felt a deep connection and proposed a powerful concept: a group of people holding childhood photos and a word representing a negative story they’d carried. As the song is about rewriting these narratives, the video captures them listening in real time, then replacing that word with a new one — a truer, kinder story about themselves.
It’s incredibly moving to watch the transformation in their faces as they let go of those old stories. We never imagined Skyler and Jen would elevate the song’s message so profoundly. The video has become something that feels as much theirs as ours, and everyone involved has a piece of it. More than any song I’ve ever been a part of, I hope people receive the message and find healing in it. That’s our deepest desire with “Enough.”
How would you compare the music with Soren to Coheed and Cambria?
I would say it is in a whole other world of its own. You can hear elements of things that may sound familiar from Coheed in my playing at times but…it’s a completely different style of music. More an Americana psychedelic folk singer songwriter style. With country elements in there, as well. I find that with any projects/bands/artists I get involved with the vibe changes with the different musicians involved. Whatever they carry with them makes for the different experiences in the songs. This is why I love collaborating with all different people.
What can fans expect at the upcoming Coheed and Cambria shows?
Right now we are out supporting the band Shinedown. We haven’t done a support tour like this in many years. It’s very cool to play for people that are unfamiliar or only know a song or two from Coheed. Much of our fanbase came from doing support slots like this. We were support for Linkin Park, Slipknot, Soundgarden, Iron Maiden and so many other bands. In these times we are able to adjust our set and create a sonic journey for the audience and familiarize them with Coheed. We are also doing headlining shows in between the Shinedown shows. Those are special shows full of a mixed batch of songs across our discography.
Is it true that both “Afterman” albums will be performed at select shows in 2026? How challenging will that be?
We will be performing both Afterman Ascension and Descension in entirety at two special shows. The first is at Red Rocks on September 29th and the second is at our Neverender Festival Oct 3rd and 4th. Both will be super special and unique experiences. The festival is full of incredible bands that we are super excited play with. It will be challenging for sure. There is a massive amount of material on those records. And the styles are all over the map. In Coheed, we welcome these challenges.
What are some memories of the creation of both those albums?
Afterman had the return of our original drummer, Josh Eppard, and also brought the addition of our bass player, Zach Cooper. In many ways, it was both a recreation and return to form for Coheed at the same time. All the elements of what Coheed had been and would move on to be makes its way on those records. We went through a lot in the year prior to creating it. That all poured into the music.
Why do you think those albums have proven to be so enduring and popular with fans?
I think many of the events I mentioned above definitely come in to play. The overall journey of the album in concept has a great story to accompany the album. Relatable themes across the board.
What is the most challenging Coheed song to record and/or perform, and why?
It changes often. I find the most challenging stuff for me is when it did not come from me. A guitar part or vocal idea that I need to recreate live can be difficult. If it came from me it can still be difficult but usually there is a muscle memory or comfort zone that comes into play. Sometimes, I will have to recreate or play parts in songs that Claudio [Sanchez] wrote or someone else I am working with created. In those cases it can be more challenging to find the comfort zone. On the newest Coheed album there is a song called “Searching for Tomorrow”. Recreating the parts for that song live was a challenge at first. Once I felt comfortable with it I fell in love with playing it live. It is now one of my favorite songs to play live.
Future plans?
With Soren Song and Travis Stever we are releasing a new song called “Lovers” in a few weeks. It features beautiful vocals by singer/songwriter Eleanor Kaufman. The rest of the new EP, The Nyack Chapter 2, will soon follow. The EP has some guest appearances by super talented friends. Casey Crescendo of The Dear Hunter plays guitar, organ, and sings on one song. Tucker Rule plays drums and Chondra Sanchez sings on a song. Zach Cooper from Coheed plays bass on a song. Those are just a few. Soren Song also has a new EP out on steaming platforms now called Queer.
Coheed and Cambria will be on tour the rest of the year. Much of touring will be with Shinedown through US, Canada, and UK with some headlining shows here and there. There are festivals like Aftershock and Louder Than Life. I will be performing with both Coheed and L.S. Dunes at those festivals. Late in fall, Coheed has dates in Australia with Avenged Sevenfold. And then of course there is the Afterman/Coheed Red Rocks show and the Neverender Festival where we also do Afterman. L.S. Dunes has new music in the works as well. Plenty on the plate.
Since the site is “Vintage Rock,” who are some of your favorite vintage rock acts?
Being that this is an interview about music I create with Soren Song, I will name the vintage rock that influences that project for me. The Band, Neil Young, Flying Burrito Brothers and of course The Beatles — George Harrison for me in particular on this EP. Mojave 3 is a big one for me in this project too, but…not sure if we can consider them to be vintage.
