Interview: 2017 Must-Know - COIN

Nashville band COIN have already toured with the likes of The 1975 and Walk The Moon, been remixed by Fall Out Boy’s Patrick Stump, and have an American tour lined up for next month. And with the four-piece - Chase Lawrence (synth/vocals), Joe Memmel (guitar/vocals), Ryan Winnen (drums), Zachary Dyke (bass) - currently gearing up to release their sophomore full-length album this year, they are sure to become breakout stars of 2017.

Just listen to the hook in 'Talk Too Much'... it can't be resisted.

MUST-LISTEN: 'Talk Too Much’, 'Atlas', 'I Would', 'Fingers Crossed'.
YOU WILL LIKE, IF YOU LIKE: The 1975, Hall & Oates, Walk The Moon, LANY, Rooney, The Maine, Two Door Cinema Club, Circa Waves.

COUP DE MAIN: I love 'Talk Too Much'. In it, you sing, “Better to leave it unsaid / Why can't I leave it unsaid?" Do you think some things are better left unsaid?
COIN - CHASE LAWRENCE: 'Talk Too Much' is pretty honest to myself. It is essentially a notepad of my thoughts throughout a conversation. While the premise of the song is tongue-in-cheek, the lyric is so real to me. For some reason, so many (myself included) just kind of spout off whatever fits or feels right in the moment, not even fully realising the true weight of what we're saying. In my experience, some (most) things are better left unsaid...

CDM: Why do you think there’s a human tendency to be unable to keep things unsaid - when often upon contemplation it’s the better thing to do?
COIN: I do not fully understand it and have only just begun to grasp this concept. I blame it on being too comfortable or being too uncomfortable. Terrified of dead air, my brain chooses to panic and solely feed the conversation - a deadly combination. Yeah, I have good intentions, but what does that mean? Not much. But honestly, I attribute much of my carefree, gun-slinging nature to the broadest medium: the Internet. It allows me to respond so mindlessly, with no real concern, for the 'virtual' human behind the keyboard. That, in turn, has to affect my social equalisation, right? I cannot attest to pre-social-media word vomit, as I was a young lad. Until I master the art of choosing my words carefully, I think I'll get a 'THINK TWICE' tattoo on my wrist. A quick fix, for the interim.

CDM: You recently played a show in Florida supporting The 1975. Do you have a favourite song by them?
COIN: Oh! 'Somebody Else' is my absolute favourite; a true classic. I love it because it is timeless. It is hard to place it in an era.

CDM: Your shows look super incredible and so much fun! How do you go about translating your music from a recorded setting into a live setting?
COIN: It is difficult, at times, but most songs we write and record come from playing together as a live band. So, it is actually a very natural transition from studio to stage. A few tweaks and a crowd, and we are ready. We are simple people.

CDM: Do you write music with playing it live in mind?
COIN: Especially with this upcoming album, yes. The idea of our live show was in our mind every step of the way. We have toured a lot over the past two years and learned a lot about our audience. We are so excited to share these new songs.

CDM: What can fans expect to hear on your sophomore album?
COIN: We should all expect to dance / cry simultaneously. We wrote mostly anti-love songs. These songs sound shimmery, but they hold very true emotion from the past two years of our lives. This album means a great deal to us.

CDM: How would you describe the development of your sound between your debut album and what people will hear on the sophomore album?
COIN: We are still COIN. We will always be COIN. This time, we are not afraid of being a pop band. We like what we like, and we do what only we can do. We have better cultivated our sound and who we are. This album is COIN, more than ever.

CDM: Do you write your lyrics specifically for the songs, or do you write poems or prose and then evolve them into song-form?
COIN: Most of our songs come from playing together as a band. Though, I do write a lot of prose. A lot of this album was written in prose form, but I always had a song in mind. This process inspired me to escape the confines of meter and melodic timing; it allowed me to write what I actually wanted to say, rather than just what happened to fit within a bar of music. Also, most of the lyrics were written on airplanes.

CDM: Lyrically, what's your favourite song that you’ve written?
COIN: There is a new song called 'Don't Cry, 2020'. In a very detailed manner, the lyric documents a unique day in my life. While it's extremely specific, somehow, it is so abstract. It could mean so much to so many. So special.

CDM: What do you think is the difference between a good song and a great song?
COIN: A great song sounds like it always was.

CDM: If you were a country, which song would be your national anthem?
COIN: 'Girls On Film' by Duran Duran.

CDM: What do you hope for people to take away from listening to your music?
COIN: I want our listeners to feel empowered to try or do anything within and beyond their reach. Death is promised to every person; so, why not try?

CDM: In an ideal world (with unlimited resources available to you), what would COIN’s relationship with fans be like?
COIN: We have the most amazing fans. I know everyone says that, but we actually do... we try to be as open with them as we can. In an ideal world, we would just be daily friends with all of them. Such special people that have invested their love in us, and we are so grateful.

CDM: If C.O.I.N. were an acronym, what would each letter stand for?
COIN:
Chase.
Obviously.
Infinitely.
Neurotic.
 
CDM: You’re one of our 'must-know’ artist picks for 2017... who are yours?
COIN: LANY, Hippo Campus, Judah & The Lion, Flor.

Watch Coin perform 'Talk Too Much' live below...

Click here to check out more of Coup De Main’s 2017 Must-Know Artists.