Strong Cotton Socks 

Falling Towards You
released digitally through ABC Music on 20/03/2020

featuring
Merinda Dias-Jayasinha – voice
James Macaulay – trombone
Flora Carbo – alto saxophone/bass clarinet

“This is a bold and unusual album featuring three exciting young musicians from the Melbourne scene. James, Merinda, and Flora are all exceptionally fine performers and in Falling Towards You, we hear their trust, skill, and sincerity driving the music.” 

– Rafael Karlen for the Music Trust E-Zine Loud Mouth

With a desire to write and play music together, James Macaulay (trombone), Flora Carbo (alto saxophone, bass clarinet), and Merinda Dias-Jayasinha (vocals) formed Strong Cotton Socks. 

The band came together quite spontaneously and collaboratively. Inspired by Dias-Jayasinha’s performance at a late-night jam session at The Jazzlab following the Melbourne Jazz Festival, Macaulay sent her a sketch for a chorale. The following day Dias-Jayasinha responded with lyrics for it, prompting them to organise a jam and inviting mutual friend, Flora Carbo, along. It worked so well that Strong Cotton Socks was born, making their debut at The Jazzlab in early 2019.

​Playing arrangements of original repertoire, Strong Cotton Socks collaborate to bring words and music together in a chamber-like setting with space to breathe, pause and to improvise. From through-composed arrangements of songs and shorter set pieces, to longer works featuring more improvisation, everyone contributed arrangements in a very natural, collaborative process.