Music > Interviews

Coasts

29/08/14

Coasts

So I pick up the phone and start chatting with Ben, the drummer from Coasts. I start explaining who Outline are and he exclaims “Oh I know all about Outline! I’ve often picked it up and flicked through it.”

Coasts are an indie pop band with tropical leanings; they’ve been chosen as a band to watch in 2014 by iTunes, have over 20,000 fans on Facebook and have just announced an American tour.…and haven’t yet released their debut album. Their rise to world stardom seems inevitable, and yet Ben, the drummer originally from Norwich still enjoys a coffee at the Forum and remembers his family holidays at Overstand with fondness. Let’s see what we can expect from their Waterfront gig this month..

How did you start making music?

When I was 14 two of my best friends wanted to form a band; one was a bass player and one was a guitarist. I wanted to join so I had to be a drummer! I had played violin before and could read music. Also at that time I was playing football for Norwich Academy and had a bad turn on my ankle, which meant I couldn’t continue playing. Making music was a new direction for me. Also my grandad used to take me to a lot of jazz concerts in and around Norwich, and seeing his passion was inspirational to me.

What are your musical influences?

There’s a session drummer called Steve Gadd, who has inspired me in the way he plays. I also really like Crystal Fighters and Bombay Bicycle Club; they’re guitar bands but bringing in elements of dance and ethnic music in the same way we are. It’s pushed me as a musician to try out different elements of drumming. I had one particular drum teacher in Norwich, Cath Evans at Norwich Music Hub, who encouraged me to try different varieties of style and bring them into a more Western style of drumming. She’s amazing!

Why are you called Coasts?

It means different things to each member of the band really. We all love the coast. When I was growing up we had a caravan in Overstrand near Cromer and it felt so special, like an escape to freedom. For me the coast is always linked to holidays and fun.

How did you all meet?

We met at Bath Spa Uni in our second year. I met the original singer from the band whilst working at Wagamama’s, and he said they were looking for a drummer for their band. I went down to the practice studios with them, and we played there for a year before starting to play gigs.

You got together in Bristol, which has a huge legacy as a breeding ground for musicians. Was it a supportive environment to start a band in?

The Bristol music scene is massive with trip hop and dance acts, but there’s also a really good indie scene down there. We didn’t want to be labelled as a Bristol band even though we loved what was happening there, as we had loftier aspirations. Bristol bands have a lot of integrity and do what they want to do, which is an attitude we have taken from there.

How would you describe your music to someone who hasn’t heard you before?

We have a definite tropical sound with elements of samba and calypso; I love South American rhythms. More recently we’ve become more dancey, but we keep it really live with guitars etc. It’s an eclectic sound; we class ourselves as indie with elements of pop, rock and dance, which means we hopefully appeal to a wide range of music fans. We now use a wider variety of instruments like the marimba and steel pans; we’ve broadened our sound to keep it fresh and exciting.

You’ve just been chosen by  iTunes as a band to watch in 2014. Does it feel like you’re on the cusp of greatness?

It’s really difficult, especially as we’ve been a band for a little while now, to say that to yourself; you’re always going to have a touch of cynicism ‘cos of past occasions when you ‘think this it’ and it isn’t. You never know if you’re gonna blow up next week, next month or next year, but with the iTunes thing and our American tour being announced it does feel like there is more potential than ever for something really special to happen. It’s feeling more and more like a proper career rather than a hobby that we make a little money from.

Speaking of your American tour, is there anywhere in particular you’re excited to visit?

I’m quite excited about the first date in Vancouver – I’ve got family there; also all the dates in New York and Las Vegas. I haven’t been to the States before so I’ll be seeing all of it in one go!

What’s your songwriting process?

It’s changed during our time as a band. At the moment we live all over the place and we meet up in Bristol or London. We lived together for a few years but we found that working and living together made our relationship a bit tumultuous. We used to practice together in a Mormon church at the end of our road, and it was an amazing time, but it’s nice to have our own space and then look forward to coming together to make music. We use Logic, record soundbites and share files initially on our own and then come together to work on it.

Do you enjoy playing festivals? Your sound is very summery so I would imagine it’s perfect for a festival crowd.

We get received really well at festivals. They’re awesome to play, as you get to see cool stuff, do your 45 minute set and have a great time. We played Great Escape and Radio One Big Weekend in Glasgow…they were the best. There were people queuing out the door for us. In Glasgow we were on between Bastille and One Direction but still got a great reaction.

You released your debut EP Paradise on vinyl. Do you think this is still a growing format?

A lot of bands are or should be releasing music on vinyl and mp3. Digital music can be a bit soulless, and a record gives you something to hold and harks back to a time when music was so much more powerful. It gives the fans some artwork and a little bit of us in there; something you can collect. The colour of our vinyl is greeny blue which is something special.

You have an epically large sound which reminds me of Arcade Fire. Do you hope to be filling arenas with it?

Liam and I talked about this years ago and we always wanted to make music that was bigger than ourselves, right from when we first met up. It’s only now that we have professionals helping us who have the same dream that it feels like that may be a reality. I can definitely see us as a band who could fill an arena with out sound; summery but also epic!

You’re currently recording your debut album with Eliot James who has also worked with Two Door Cinema Club and Noah and the Whale. How has it been working with him, and would you put yourself in the same stable as those bands?

We had almost finished it but have decided to go back in and work on it some more so it’s a little delayed. We’d like to have a great collection of songs to choose from as it’s our first album so it’s very important; I don’t want to look back on it and regret not taking as much time on it as we wanted. I wouldn’t say we have a great deal in common with those bands, although I really like them. We have a fuller sound than Noah, and a more brooding sound than Two Door. Eliot is an amazing producer and I’ve never worked with anyone so professional.

You’ve played Norwich before; how was the response?

The audience was about 30% my family and friends, 70% other Coasts fans, perhaps even more! We played Norwich Arts Centre, which is one of my favourite venues. The team they’ve got there are awesome, and the Norwich crowd always know all the words and are wearing the t shirts; there are so many really passionate music fans in Norwich.

What can we expect from your show this time around at the Waterfront?

We’ll definitely have our palm tree and special lighting; we always plan our live shows carefully as we feel our audiences deserve to be properly entertained if they’re paying for a ticket to see us.

Do you get back to Norwich much?

I try to get back to see my mum and my friends once a month or so for a weekend, play some tennis, have a coffee in the Forum .…I come back to Norwich to stay grounded. The first time I got spotted in Norwich was after my first tour and someone with a Coasts t shirts on recognised me; my dad was like “Don’t get big headed now”.

Coasts play the Waterfront on 17th September.

http://coastsband.com