Henrico brothers bring synth pop sound to music scene

Chris Cosby also noted how interesting it is to see the connection between different generations of Heartracer fans through their music, marveling at the many different ways the band’s fans have related and enjoyed their sound.

“A lot of younger people maybe don’t get the '80s references, but love the music for what it is, and older listeners like it because it reminds them of music growing up,” he said.

In addition to fans, one person with a front row seat for Heartracer’s success is Charles Cosby, Chris and Chip’s father, who told the Citizen that he has enjoyed watching his sons’ natural talents flourish in Heartracer over the years.

“Chris is the writer of the songs and Chip helps with arranging the songs,” Charles Cosby said. “Chip gives thoughtful ideas and is an accomplished guitar player.” He believes that the brothers’ natural talent and musical successes separate from one another have helped foster the group’s success and positive critical reviews.

For Chris Cosby, writing music didn’t start off as a career, but rather an outlet to express himself, especially in times of hardship. His songwriting originated initially as a way to respond to the death of his tennis partner in high school.

“I was playing on the high school tennis team and my doubles partner committed suicide, and to cope with it I started writing songs on the piano," he said. "Songwriting has always been a cathartic process."

With this motivation behind his songwriting, one of Chris Cosby’s priorities is to use his words to bring feeling into the band’s music and to connect with listeners. The band plays a lot by ear and through the feel of the music, he said, which gives it a special sense of emotion.

“Music is a form of peace, and it's not always a sad emotion it conveys – it’s a sort of language,” Chris Cosby noted. He finds it surreal watching people reacting to Heartracer’s music, saying the creative process just comes naturally to him and has been a consistent way for him to process emotions.

“More than any other art form, music is the language of emotion. It can make you feel any emotion really,” he said.

In addition to its recent album release, Cosby said the band is already busy working on new music and playing gigs. Its next one: April 16 at the Shockoe Sessions, at In Your Ear Studios in Richmond.