Bristol, England quintet Coasts has accomplished more in its first five years as a band than most groups do within 15 years. 2014 was the year of Coasts signing major record deals, Warner Music for the U.K. and Capitol Records for the States. “Oceans,” the third single from Coasts’ self-titled album, has received over 2.5 million streams on Spotify, over 1.3 million YouTube views, and plenty of support from BBC Radio 1. Following Coasts’ Lollapalooza debut last year, A.V. Club titled them the “Band Most Ready For Its Inevitable Rolling Stone Cover.”
The path to U.S. domination continues with a headlining show at Irving Plaza on Apr. 21. Coasts – which includes vocalist Chris Caines, guitarist Liam Willford, bassist James Gamage, keyboardist David Goulbourn, and drummer Ben Street — is still on the road in support of the aforementioned self-titled release, but per my Q&A with Liam, new music ought to be ready in the near-future. For more info on Coasts, click on over here or follow them on Twitter via the handle @coastsband.
What do you remember about the first gig you ever played in New York City?
Liam Willford: We played The Bowery Ballroom supporting Bad Suns…I remember being really amazed at how great the venue was, and also after being told when I was pretty drunk afterwards that Jake Gyllenhaal had watched us, because he was friends with Bad Suns’ manager. I managed to go up to a guy afterwards who I thought was him and shake his hand, then find out it wasn’t actually him, it was just a random lad…
Had you ever been to New York prior to going on-tour as a musician?
L: I’d never been before and we were ridiculously excited. The first visit was in February and it was ridiculously cold. We were exploring in the afternoon and it was so cold that we decided to go into the nearest open door and order something to get out the cold. Turned out it was a Mexican margarita place, so that sorted us out pretty quick.
Assuming you have a few hours to yourself while in New York, is there anything that you hope to get to do? Or a place you’re itching to visit?
L: I’ve never been to Central Park so I’d definitely go there. I’d also probably spend a lot of time looking for Central Perk from Friends, but probably to no avail; I’m assuming it doesn’t exist. We always go to Chelsea Market, too, and get some amazing food as a priority.
The members of Coasts met in college. Were there any other bands while you guys studied there?
L: There were a lot of ska-punk-funk bands. There was a music course at college and part of the student’s studies was to they had to form a band. Whenever you get loads of expert musicians randomly working together, they seem to play some sort of funk hybrid. We were the outcasts, because we were all terrible musicians and played indie-rock, but it has seemed to work out!
A lot of bands shudder when thinking about their earliest material, but your band was fairly-prominent within two years of forming. Are you still performing the first few songs you wrote?
L: We are performing a couple of adjusted versions of some of the first songs we wrote, but we went back and tweaked them. We have songs from before the band officially formed that are way worse and are probably on the internet somewhere if you look really hard.
Who was the band or person that inspired you to pick up a guitar for the first time?
L: Probably my grandpa. He died when I was only six, but I remember him having loads of guitars and having a rehearsal room at his house where we used to go and make a lot of noise. When I got to being a teenager, me and my brother got really into music, and I think he was the reason why.
Do you write songs outside of Coasts?
L: Yes, I love songwriting so much and spend pretty much every hour of the day writing songs or thinking about writing songs. I’ve recently been writing with an amazing band called The Hunna and I think they are going to be massive next year. Collaborating with others is the best way to learn and hone your own craft.
Is there a band accomplishment that you’re most proud of?
L: I think playing Glastonbury and Coachella last year were two of the biggest achievements to date,
both were equally surreal and amazing experiences!
![Press Photo [MAIN]](http://www.dtm.wix2wp.site/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Press-Photo-MAIN.jpg)
Your debut full-length came out in the U.S. last month. As some of the songs you perform live were first released in 2013 and 2014, is there already material written for a follow-up Coasts album?
L: I’ve spent the last month writing every day with our singer Chris, and we have about 12 songs already penned. We’ve already decided we want to release a new album fairly quickly and the material is flowing out at the moment, which is always a good sign! After traveling the world, we’ve got a few new things and experiences to write about.
Are there any goals that you have for your self-titled album? Must anything happen for you to feel it was successful?
L: I think that it is human nature for nothing to ever be enough and to always look forward. I just want to reach as many people as possible with this record, and to keep feeling like we are moving forward as a band. We are in this for the long haul, and we are prepared to work every day for the success of the band, whether it happens soon with this record or takes a little longer to take off properly.
Who is the best British band that our readers may not know?
L: As I mentioned before, The Hunna are going to be the band of next year. Their music is exciting and
earnest, and Ryan the lead singer has the most amazing voice. Definitely one to check out now before they are massive!
When you’re not busy with your career, how do you like to spend your free time?
L: I’m obsessed with sports, I love soccer more than anything, but have also got into U.S. sports recently. Me and Dave have become big Blue Jays fans and are desperate to see them play this summer!
Finally, Liam, any last words for the kids?
L: There is a time and a place for everything, it is called college. (laughs)
by- Darren Paltrowitz
