Exclusive Interview: The Coasts Q&A on Debut Album
Members of The Coasts, Ike Peters and Eric Mount, recently sat down to answer some questions for Thought on Tracks. They are an unsigned band hailing from Little Rock, Arkansas and Lebanon, Ohio.
How many members of the band are there? How old are you? How did you meet?
IKE: Officially, we have 2 members – me (Ike Peters) and Eric Mount. We’re both 25 and we met freshmen year of college. I don’t remember the exact time we met, but I’m sure a shared love of Radiohead was involved. We roomed together with a couple of other guys and we’ve been best friends ever since.
Describe your recording process. Were you guys sending each other stuff from afar? Or did you manage to record live?
IKE: Basically, Eric came down one weekend in February and we recorded the groundwork for 12 songs. After that, me and Isaac (the producer) would add stuff here and there on the weekends or after work. I’d send the tracks-in-progress to Eric and he’d give us some feedback or ideas, and that’s just how it went.
ERIC: The songs kind of morphed from Ike’s original sound/composition and what I thought they sounded like through my Ohio-headphones, into what they eventually became.
Are you signed to any record label? How did you finance the recording?
IKE: We are not signed to any label currently. We financed it ourselves, but it only ended up costing $400 because we just lucked out on a ton of things. Other than a producer, Isaac is my boss at work. He and two other guys run an ad agency in Little Rock. ANYWAY, he had this space he rented from a guy in town where he would record his stuff and keep all of his gear. We just used that beat-up, AC-less room to record in. It was rock n roll. And Isaac did it all for free. We just had to pay the extra musicians and the mixer/masterer guy. So, we were very, very, very lucky.
Who are you major influences?
IKE: During that weekend when Eric was here, we listened to Exile on Main St. to and from the “studio.” So, as far as the record is concerned, that was probably our main inspiration. Musically, though, I’m a huge Kinks fan.
ERIC: Well, the influences for the album, I’d have to say, range somewhere between early rock ‘n roll to more modern indie rock, such as Dr. Dog, Weezer and Cake, which was kind of unplanned. But my influential staples would probably be Radiohead, Wilco and the Pixies, with more recent favorites like Midlake and Arcade Fire.
What current artists would you compare yourselves with?
IKE: I don’t know if we’d compare ourselves to anyone, but we definitely WISH we sounded like Dr. Dog or The Black Keys or someone with that throwback kind of sound. I won’t always want to be known as a “throwback” band and I doubt those bands do either, but that sound is throughout our album, so I’ll take it for now.
ERIC: I actually feel like we’ve got a pretty unique thing going on, especially with the limited time we’ve actually spent playing together. You could look at that a few different ways: either we are unrehearsed, unprofessional hacks, or we come across as a raw and original project. Hopefully the latter comes across. But, to answer your question — no one.
Could you describe any goals or objectives you hoped to accomplish with the recording?
IKE: It started out as just a fun project or just something cool we could do together. We didn’t really have any end-goal other than we’d just have something to show for our efforts. The fact that we have an album is still just a weird thought to me. But that’s what the goal was.
ERIC: Initially, my goal was just to have an album recorded that I could put my name on and be proud of. Something to show my kids one day. But now that we’ve sold some records and we’ve been encouraged by so many people, maybe this will turn into something more. Who knows.
IKE: I don’t even know if we were going to charge people for the record once it was done, but it just really hit us that weekend that we had something special. Before, they were just songs I had written and tried to record myself, so they didn’t have that magic that Eric added to it. It was such a cool feeling, so from then out, we knew we had something exciting.
Describe Isaac Alexander’s role in the recording process.
ERIC: Ike and I were relatively unfamiliar with the entire process and Isaac really sacrificed a lot of time to help us accomplish this record. Also, given the fact that he laid down the bass tracks, we were able to really let it rip in the studio and rock out with a “full” band. I think that really comes through on a few of the songs.
IKE: Isaac made the album what it is, pretty much. Without him, it would’ve been pretty gross. In fact, it probably wouldn’t even be. Since Isaac was much more experienced in music, having put out a few albums himself and with other bands in Little Rock, we knew he’d really give us some direction. And he did. He sacrificed a lot of time and energy on this, and he deserves most of the credit for it.
What was the inspiration behind the decision to donate part of the album’s proceeds to Haiti?
ERIC: Last winter, my wife, Nicole, and I went on a medical mission trip to Haiti with Hope for Haiti’s Children. We had already been sponsoring a child at the orphanage, Stanley, and we were able to see him and approximately 900 other kids. We, along with the rest of our group, were able to provide medical care to them. When we came back we told Ike and Alexis (Ike’s wife) about it and they are now sponsoring a child, too, named Stephanie. An important part of Ike and I and our families’ faith is giving back part of what you’ve been blessed with. And we felt this opportunity was no different.
What is the music scene like in Little Rock?
IKE: See, this is where my naivety comes out. I only have a general view of the Little Rock scene, so I’d be afraid to give it any kind of label. I would say that it’s pretty diverse. It’s no Austin or Nashville, of course, but it’s got some really great bands that have worked harder than we have, for sure. We haven’t even played a show yet. So, short answer: not sure yet.
What is the music scene like in Dayton?
ERIC: Where I live there’s no real “scene”. I think people just listen to what’s on the radio for the most part. My favorite band to come out of the area is probably The National, from Dayton and further east in Akron, the Black Keys. I think the Breeders are from Dayton, too.
Describe some of the drawbacks and benefits from this long distance relationship.
IKE: The drawbacks are that the process was much slower. We’d email back and forth about tracks, whereas it could’ve been quicker if he were here or we were all there. Plus, it was weird not having Eric there when me and Isaac would work on it. It wasn’t the same, and though we’re really happy with the outcome, I bet it would’ve been better if we all lived in the same place. Plus, we could be playing shows, too. It looks like I’m going to have to find a substitute for the time being. The benefit, though, was that we were extremely focused when Eric was here. Since Eric hadn’t touched a drumset in 3 years, I thought it was going to have to be more than a weekend. But he just banged it out and we got a shocking amount of work done. If we had lived in the same place, I bet we would’ve goofed off a lot more and wasted more of people’s time.
ERIC: Yeah, like Ike said, the benefit was that we didn’t have the opportunity to “overdo” the album. I like the relatively raw sound we got, and we didn’t overdub much of anything. If we had more time, we may have tinkered with it to where it didn’t sound quite that way. Drawbacks: Not getting to play new music or just hang out.
What has the response to the record been like?
IKE: The response has greatly surpassed any expectations we had. I honestly thought when we put it on sale that our friends and family would buy copies, and that’d be it. Which would’ve been fine. I think our money goal was that each of us would be able to buy a Hot N Ready pizza from Little Caesar’s. We just wanted to be realistic and not get our hopes up. But thanks to Paper Garden Records and several music blogs, the word got out and people have been really positive and supportive. Since we’ve released it, we’ve been getting emails from all over the place, so it’s just crazytown. It’s exciting, but yeah, not what we expected at all.
What are the plans for the future?
IKE: Right now, I’m writing some more songs and trying to put together a live show with some guys in town, at the same time continue being married and work hard at my job. I just made that sound stressful, but it really isn’t. It’s a lot of fun.
ERIC: I think we’ll record a second record for sure.
What advice would you give other up and coming artists?
IKE: No excuses. If you want to do it, then make the time and do it. We’re still in no position to give any kind of advice, but that’s what we try to tell ourselves.
Download The Coasts‘ debut LP for $5.00 at http://thecoasts.bandcamp.com/
The Fridge Media Reviews Gramatik – Beatz & Pieces Vol. 1
Gramatik’s Beatz & Pieces Volume 1 has been in constant rotation the past few weeks. While DJ music is rarely a comfort food for me, these beats are addictive as hell. Laden with soul samples and hip hop breaks, I challenge anyone to listen to this album only once. Our friends at the sensational music blog, The Fridge Media, had this album covered from the moment it dropped. Check them out, they have an exceptional site and are always on top of their game. Rather than toss off a sub par review of my own, they were kind enough to allow me to share theirs! So, without further ado…
Gramatik’s debut on the Pretty Lights Music label, Beatz & Pieces Volume 1, makes good use of the new resources at his disposal. While it is easy to draw comparisons to Pretty Lights’ sound, I urge anyone who decides to give this album a spin to not make any such snap judgments; it is more than capable of standing on its own. Gramatik’s personality and heritage seep out of the album’s sound separating it from the huddled masses of electronic music while giving the album its own distinct flavor. The major indicator of quality electronic music, to me, is the ability of the artist to convey their personality through the synthetic medium. This aspect of music, eliciting emotion and displaying the character of the creator, is what allows a listener to form a bond with the art, and is much easier to hear or feel through traditional, dare I say, organic music. And while often sought after in electronic music compositions, it is rarely attained. Yet, Gramatik manages to do so with Beatz & Pieces Volume 1.
The first styling of Gramatik’s choosing is the combination of two distinct fashions of vocal samples. Present are vocals that are reminiscent of those utilized by Pretty Lights, but also thrown in the mix are higher vocals transposed up several steps. Starting with track one, these vocals can be found from beginning to end. And while this constant use of the generally same vocal samples could easily become hackneyed, Gramatik owns it. They simply do not become tiresome.
The upright bass, carrying the groove of the track, sets the chilled out tone of the album, separating Beatz & Pieces Volume 1 from the sounds of the rest of the Pretty Lights Music label. Using the sound design that has brought Pretty Lights notoriety, Gramatik slows things down creating a experience much better suited for casual listening than one would initially expect. With that said, the album brings the noise with authority, evidenced by the album’s first single “So Much for Love”, which makes an early appearance in the fourth slot, and manages to balance a wonderful hip hop feel while bringing the funk as well through some very nice horns and keys. This one is ready for consumption by the masses.
The slower tempos and vocal stylings are merely the beginning of Gramatik’s musical personality impressed upon the listener. The native Slovenian draws on his heritage granting the listener a gift of wild blend of sound while simultaneously paying homage to his background. Just check out “The Drink is Called Rakija”. There just has to be some Central European inspiration behind this track. Slightly redolent of Beats Antique when the track gets going, it departs from this comparison rather quickly ending with a serious polka-esque(?) type vibe.
Gramatik invokes even more of his roots “Moar Jive”. You know this one already whether you think so or not. The track might seem rather silly and slightly novel; you cannot deny it is fun. Specifically when the song goes off in a random direction catching this listener completely by surprise. Then, at just the right time, those high, transposed vocals reappear and we are back: everything has come full circle. This track gives you a nice taste test of Gramatik’s unique flavor; however, you really should consume the album in its entirety at least once. Actually, give this album two, three, four, or even more listen. I promise it only gets better with each subsequent spin.
Beatz & Pieces Volume 1, certainly does employ similar sounds, vocals, and effects to those you hear on any Pretty Lights album, but Gramatik chills things down and draws on his own unique experiences to create his own unique style of European influenced trip hop. The single most important or defining aspect that separates good electronic music, or even good music in general, from the throng of noise is whether the personality of the creator is not only present but prominent throughout a track, album, or mix. Not only is Gramatik’s personality prominent throughout this album; it permeates the album. Flying Lotus does it. Pretty Lights does it. Samiyam does it. Lorn does it. And on this album, Gramatik does it. The only challenge before Gramatik now is to continually allow his personality to infest his noise while not relying on the exact same sound design.
Thought on Tracks 
First Impressions of Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks ‘Mirror Traffic’
If humans had the ability to queue a theme song in any public situation at will, I would have no problem with any track from Slanted and Enchanted for my selection. Unless, of course, I was a suave lady loving Adonis, then it would have to be Billy Ocean’s “Caribbean Queen.” My musical DNA is built to love anything Malkmus touches. He just works for me. It is this level of musical comfort that makes my nerves yell HOORAY!!!! when any project of his is released. Thank you 2011 and Stephen for packaging up Mirror Traffic for me. I promise I will not let you down.
Understanding that I was on the cusp of the release date , I opted to call my local vinyl outlet Luna Music. If you are ever in Indianapolis, drop by Luna (52nd and College) and buy some music. I had intended on reserving a copy before the album’s release next Tuesday, however, I was booming to hear that they had six copies on hand.
My initial listening session was very satisfying. Stephen was in my living room with his friends the Jicks. I gave a turntable.fm “Awesome” bob to all 15 songs. “Tune Grief” is an early favorite and reassures me that Malkmus is still the boss. Sure, the album might have a few unnecessary tracks and drags along a bit at times, but wait…that is why we have grown to love him right? Don’t kid yourself; this album delivers for any long-time fan of Malkmus’ work.
I can’t wait for Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks to explode the Earth House on Wednesday, October 5th in Indianapolis. Click HERE for tickets. Thanks again MOKB for making 2011 great. Stream the entirety of Mirror Traffic NPR’s First Listen.
Written by Brett McGrath