What influences from your childhood do you see coming out in Coastals?

Tyler C: I was a pretty emo kid growing up, so I listened to a lot of My Chemical Romance. The bigger moments in our songs like Contest sometimes remind me of how intensely they'd play instrumentally.
 

Brendan: Growing up, I used to practice a lot of metal/punk music which had a huge emphasis on washy cymbals and a cracking snare. I’ve tried to change the course of our drum sound over the past few releases to be a little bit more aggressive when it comes to the performance.

 

James: Red Hot Chili Peppers and Bombay Bicycle Club.

 

What does this upcoming show in August mean to you?

James: It’s a chance for rebirth. We’ve got new music, New lineup of members, and we’ve all matured a lot in our lives and music.

 

Brendan: It means reconnecting with people, playing our hearts out, and actually feeling like a real band again. It was tough to keep the show going with all of us being spread out, but we found a great balance and are ready to give the Tampa area our fresh post-COVID sound!

 

What does nostalgia mean to you? Can you attach it to a specific memory?

Tyler C: Any memories that capture an emotion in your mind from the past. I get nostalgic any time I visit my hometown, I think about everything that's ever happened to me in that place, good and bad. 

 

James: Nostalgia to me means no worries. Specifically playing Tony Hawk's pro skater and skating around/beach volleyball every weekend.

 

Brendan: Nostalgia to me represents a feeling of comfort and childlike whim. With one of the most chaotic years I’ve experienced behind us, it’s hard to feel optimistic with what’s handed to you. Going back to that old 90s cartoon or watching 2000s Nickelodeon commercial compilations can take you away from a stressful breakdown and give you a sense of relief. 

 

What was the process of writing Contest/C’est La Cie?

Tyler F: This song began as a couple of looped sections I’d sketched out on this looper pedal that I use which has a memory bank. Then they really came to life when we got together to properly arrange them into a song that became Contest/C’est La Vie. It was during that process of getting the parts finalized that the lyrics came out and the bridge section was added which for me ended up being one of the most memorable and emotional moments.

 

Brendan: As the drummer, my role had some to do with the composition, but mostly had to do with performance. We had played around with this song during rehearsals to refine the structure and come up with interesting drum parts. After months of not playing the song together, I walked into our recording space and played something different from what I had originally thought. We were even making compositional changes in between takes. Through this song, I learned that writing doesn’t stop until the song gets sent to distributors!

 

What juice would you be? What juice would Coastals as a whole be?

Tyler C: I'd be apple juice. I think Coastals would be orange juice.

 

Brendan: I would say apple juice, but the apple is really good at drums. Coastals would be lemon juice, because even just one of our songs in your playlists would make it tastier. 

 

How has the social culture of Tampa influenced your songwriting?

Tyler C: While I was in Tampa, I took part in many different music groups and activities. From songwriting groups to music appreciation clubs, getting out and trying to make friends really pushed me to focus on what I liked and what I didn't.

 

James: Tampa’s music culture is pretty awesome for being a smaller city. There’s a lot of freedom of expression especially for independent rock and heavier genres of rock too. We have several good friends we’ve met in other bands and around the city at shows that we collaborate with. Everyone’s supportive and there’s always a good turnout. 

 

Brendan: We’re all less than an hour from our respective beaches (even our LA guitarist), so there’s definitely some sort of coastal (haha) beachy influence in our music. People in this area like high energy music, but there’s only so far you can go without becoming ska. So, we try to combine the fast beats and offbeat rhythms with our 80s pop and dance influences. 

 

What is one album you (each) think of when you hear the term Nostalgia?

Tyler F: Conditions by the Temper Trap. Reminds me of summers and road trips and that age when you feel the world is finally opening up to you.

 

Tyler C: All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone by Explosions in the Sky. I don't think an album could be more nostalgic.

 

Brendan: The album I think of that has the most nostalgia for me is The Devil Wears Prada’s With Roots Above and Branches Below. It contains some of the first songs I learned on drums, and it’s hard to not go back and lose yourself in those campy metalcore breakdowns. 

 

James: I Had the Blues but I Shook Them Loose by Bombay and 808s & Heartbreak by Kanye West.

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~Reagan Thornley