L’islet Records - Interview

Last week we sat down (over the phone) with Coastal Fire Dept. about their forthcoming single You Are Stuck. 

The big news is Ken Andrews mixed your single, how did that come about? 
Ollie “Well you asked us how we were going to better Control (our mini-album), so we asked you to get us Ken to mix the single as a starting point!” 

Why did you go for Ken Andrews? 
Ollie “Well I came across his band Failure quite a few years ago and not only did I love them and their songs but I thought the production of Fantastic Planet and The Heart Is A Monster was off the scale! And when I realised that Ken had produced and mixed them I was blown away. I then saw he had worked with Chris Cornell, Paramore, Nine Inch Nails, Beck, Stone Temple Pilots and many others...and I stored that away in the back of my mind...never thinking I’d ever need it again!” 
Saad “We’d been a fan of his for a while and not many people know that we had thrown a Failure song in the set a couple of years ago.” 
Gareth “When Ollie floated the idea we were up for it and never thought we’d get a look in!” 
Bobby “Yeah, when Ollie told me his idea I thought he was crazy and you guys were also crazy going with it.” 

What’s it like to have worked with Ken Andrews on your single? 
Gareth “For me, the fact that someone thousands of miles away can listen to and enjoy a piece of music I have been involved in is amazing in itself. The songs/artists Ken Andrews has been involved with is incredible and to be a part of the roster of bands he has worked with is really quite cool. Essentially being put in the same list as Chris Cornell... what’s not to like! He’s done an amazing job on this track and I hope people enjoy listening to it as much as we did recording it.” 

How would you describe You Are Stuck in musical terms? 
Saad “Pop rock for sure..in fact it is us expanding our grunge sound a little.” 
Gareth “Modern grunge with alt rock undertones. Shoegaze outro.” 
Ollie “Alt rock meets grunge meets shoegaze with an unexpected twist at the end!” 
Bobby “Lit!” 

We understand there’s a message in that song? 
Saad “Yes the song is about...actually I don’t want to give it all away but there is an underlying positive message.” 

You’re half way into recording your first full album with Mikey at Apocalypse Studios, how’s it going? 
Bobby “Yeah, we’ve done the groundwork and can’t wait to go back in to do some more guitars and heavy riffs!” 
Gareth “We were supposed to go back in to materially finish it off a couple of weeks ago but that was postponed for obvious reasons.” 

What’s the album called? 
All “Connected.” 

Anything you can share with us about it? 
Bobby “It’s gonna be big and gnarly!” 
Ollie “It’s still Grunge From The Vale but it’s taking in more influences and flavours. Probably not going to have glockenspiels or aerosol cans this time but I can hear a few other things so we’ll see!” 

Have you gone about any of the recording differently this time? 
Gareth “Not really, mainly the same approach as the last album.” 
Saad “Got to say, it was fun recording in Apocalypse’s new bigger studio though!” 
Ollie “yeah, the approach is more or less the same but we have gone for some slightly different equipment this time around...we’re looking for a certain sound which should be quite apparent when it’s released.” 

Like what? 
Bobby “Different amps, guitars and pedals!” 
Ollie “Yeah...we’re still using a duo sonic and jazzmaster as the main guitars but we’ve layered in some more types of guitars with different pickups. Plus as Bob said...some different amps and pedals too.” 
Saad “We listened to a rough track this week and the guitars we have down already are massive...” 
Bobby “...and they’re gonna be bigger!” 

Coastal Fire Dept. release You Are Stuck (Ken Andrews mix) the first song from their second album on 1 May. It will be available on all major digital platforms.

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