There’s just something about COIN. Year after year they give us what we all came for: indie pop escapism. And while the signature sound has certainly matured, they’ve never lost their roots. The trio which consists of Chase Lawrence, Ryan Winnen, and Joe Memmel, started back in 2012. Since then, they’ve reached over 4 million monthly listeners on Spotify and over 23.5 million views on Youtube. Together, these men have fused color and music in a way that can’t just be categorized as “catchy.” They are a form of escapism. Take our advice, and turn on COIN while you’re driving in the car with the windows down. You’ll forget about all the bad stuff. The beat will absorb you, and the euphoria will boil to the surface.
The boys sure know how to greet you with serotonin: a hint of groovy rock, colorful pop, and eclectic guitar led-tunes. Their newest project is ‘Indigo Violet,’ a four-track EP, fueled with reliability. “‘Indigo Violet’ is the first color movement of our full concept – Rainbow Mixtape,” COIN told LADYGUNN. “IV is a collection of songs written over the past few months. Thematically, it deals with patience & oneness – rational songs about what it means to be human. Sonically, the EP is influenced by early 2000s emotive rock – big sounding songs with little production.”
The video for “Sort It Out” dropped this week, clad with performing robotic animals in clothes and the pop musicality we never fail to miss from COIN.
What was the inspiration behind “You Are The Traffic?”
Earlier this year, I found myself stuck in traffic. After several attempts of escape, weaving in & out of cars, my efforts were in vain. Sitting in a hot, stationary car, with certain expectations, I screamed aloud, “Where are all of these people going?!” At that moment, I’m not sure what happened. My head tilted back & my eyes widened. Out of some kind of newfound cosmic awareness, I realized I am ‘these people,’ I am the traffic. This realization lent itself to a much bigger conversation & became a metaphor for my own life. The ‘car’ in front of me isn’t in my way any more than I am in theirs.’
Who are your musical inspirations?
This is an evolving question. Historically, our favorite bands have been The Cars & The Cure. More recently, we’ve been very inspired by late 1990’s & early 2000’s UK rock. And without sounding too cliche, The Beatles recently have informed some of my most creative sonic explorations.
What do you miss most about live music?
I deeply miss the community & culture. I deeply miss walking out of the bus & seeing amazing people queued up for the show that night. I deeply miss the homemade signs held up the entire show. I deeply miss the handmade merch. I deeply miss feeling the bass bins vibrate the floor. I deeply miss the confidence of singing lyrics with the support of thousands of people. I deeply miss walking out the back door of the venue at the end of the night & saying “hi” to more amazing people. I deeply miss you.
What things have you learned about yourself during this forgotten summer?
For the past few years, I have been so busy touring that I unintentionally found my identity in my work. Over the summer, our relationship & friendship, as a band, has grown stronger. We also learned we needed time for old & new hobbies. I love biking. Ryan paints. Joe is a daytrader.
Who is your dream collab?
I have 1,000,000 answers. I love collaboration. One day, I’d love to spend some time with David Byrne.
What are you most excited for in 2021?
Over this forgotten summer (as you so lovingly put it), we wrote so many songs, unsure of what we were doing. With little to no expectation, we came out with the most important, “COIN defying” music we’ve ever created. The thought of seeing our work coming to fruition & finding ears around the world brings me a great deal of joy.
What do you hope people feel when listening to your music?
A year ago, I may have had an answer; today, I am detaching myself from expectation. I hope our emotion is clear, but ultimately, this is an open-ended conversation.
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photos / David O’Donohue
story / Sam Berlin