Distant Cousins to Tour With Matisyahu

It would be nearly impossible to find a music group whose harmonies are tighter than Duvid Swirsky, Dov Rosenblatt and Ami Kozak of Distant Cousins, a music group that fuses pop, folk and rock.

Their new EP, “Out of the Darkness,” includes “Dimati” with Hebrew song with lyrics that translate to: “Don’t turn away. Don’t leave me.” “Our new record is all music since Oct. 7,” Swirsky said. “It has obviously been tough for everyone. We were glad to have each other and express ourselves through music.” After the horrific attack, Swirsky hopes people can find some measures of healing. For Distant Cousins, the process of songwriting and performing on stage is cathartic.

With all three having stand out voices, one might think they would fight over who sings the majority of the solo for songs. “It’s more like, we fight and say, ‘oh you take it, no you take it,’” Rosenblatt said, adding that a big part of the band’s success is that they are such close friends and know each other’s personalities as well as musical inclinations.

Kozak is a comedian who has performed across the country, but since Oct. 7, he has been defending Israel as a political commentator, taking on the likes of Dave Smith and Candace Owens. Kozak enjoys constructive conversations and is against ad-hominem attacks. “We’ve certainly seen a galvanizing of artists who are proud of being Jewish and we see in these times, it can inspire and have a measure of healing,” Kozak said.

“We’ve certainly seen a galvanizing of artists who are proud of being Jewish and we see in these times, it can inspire and have a measure of healing,” – Ami Kozak

The group is thrilled to open for Matisyahu on an eight show tour, from August 22-30. “It’s a real honor for us to join Matisyahu,” Kozak said. “We performed with him over Passover and it went really well, so it seemed like a logical and natural step.” The band will also join Matisyahu on stage, adding background vocals to his songs.

With college out, many anti-Israel protests have tapered down. In February, a few venues, including Meow Wolf in Santa Fe, New Mexico and The Rialto Theater in Tucson Arizona cancelled Matisyahu’s concerts, citing “security concerns.” Most of his shows went ahead as scheduled without incident. Asked which of them is the best fighter, should a protest turn violent, Kozak replied with dry humor. “I haven’t seen the other two guys fight. But I have some training.”

Founded about 12 years ago in Los Angeles, the three members of the band low live in distant cities. Swirsky is a founder of the famed Jewish rock group Moshav, fronted by Yehuda Solomon, while Rosenblatt is the also lead singer of the New York-based Jewish band Blue Fringe, lives in Nashville, and Kozak lives in New Jersey.

The group’s song “Are You Ready” (On Your Own) was used in the 2014 film “This Is Where I Leave You,” the song “Raise It Up” was on the show “Criminal Minds” and the catchy “On My Way” was used in Macy’s Denim Nation ad campaign. The group has written music for the animated kids show “Dew Drop Diaries.”

While a big chunk of the group’s fans are Jewish, some are not as the majority of the songs are in English and have general messages of positivity. The songs are catchy and give off a feeling of spiritual cleansing even if you’re an atheist.