Straight Up Random

SUR Featured Unsigned Band: The Right Coast

BIOGRAPHY: Having roots in heavier music themselves, the members of The Right Coast came together to make music that differs from the predominately hardcore scene in Lancaster, PA. Comprised of singer Brandon, bassist Doug, guitarist Pat, drummer Curran, and guitarist Joe, this quintet is trying their hand at pop rock and aren’t going unnoticed. They’ve released an EP, have some shows lined-up, and are going back to the studio to record with producer Paul Leavitt (All Time Low, The Dangerous Summer, Circa Survive).

DISCOGRAPHY: This Is Now EP (2008)

This Is Now EP REVIEW: The Right Coast brings to the table upbeat songs that any fan of pop-rock music will easily fall in love with, each song having a feel good vibe of youthful pleasures. The EP opens with the title track, “This Is Now,” and it starts out with vocoders used tastefully on the first line. The next song, “Shake This Town,” picks up the pace a bit, and the musicianship overall on this song is at its best, and shows the potential they have as a band. A piano is used in the introduction of their third track, “All She Wanted.” The vocals on this track are particularly good and flows very smoothly throughout song. The last song on the EP is a heartfelt anthem about a girl called “Madeline” and is the perfect closer to the EP and would make a perfect finale to the band’s live performance, like We The King’s song “Bradenton.” It starts out acoustically, full of a reminiscent happiness, and then the full band comes in with a gang of vocalists to share lead singer Brandon’s regret, sinigng “I threw out the brightest city I know.” By the very end of the song, it goes back to the acoustic guitar and finishes with gang vocals and the sound of lost love. Consisting of four songs, The Right Coast manages to make a good impression on anyone who gives their This Is Now EP a listen.

STAND OUT TRACKS: “This Is Now”

FOR FANS OF: The Maine, We The Kings, The Bigger Lights

INTERVIEW:

Questions answered by The Right Coast’s guitarist, Pat.

So what’s the story behind your band - how’d you all meet and why did you start it?

We all have been in bands throughout high school. So some of us were in bands together and regardless we all knew each other from all being a part of the local music scene. We all had played heavier music in the past though, so this was something pretty new for us. But we all had similar goals so everything just worked out.

How did you come up with your name?

Umm, I think Doug thought of it one day. If you think about it, the East coast (which is where we’re located) is on the right side of the country. Also, we feel it is the RIGHT coast to be on. haha… We just kind of thought it sounded cool and stuck with it.

How was your Hot Topic mini-tour? What was it like playing only acoustic?

Amazing! Playing our music acoustically was definitely different but it was a lot of fun. Plus we got to meet and hangout with a ton of amazing people and eat greasy food in mall food courts! haha

What can fans expect your live show to be like?

Just five guys having a good ass time. Playing live is the highlight of being in a band for all of us, so we’re always playing loud and having fun.

You guys will be recording in March with Paul Leavitt. How’d you get hooked up with him?

The Darklight Entertainment Group, who book us shows, scheduled us to record with Paul. We plan on recording two demos with him. We’re huge fans of Paul’s works in the past (All Time Low, The Dangerous Summer), so we’re pretty stoked.

What’s the recording process like for the band?

Well we usually pre-produce and record our songs on our own with Macbooks just to get a basic idea of the song before we actually go into the studio. Once we’re in the studio we record probably like any other band. Drums first… then bass, then guitars, then and vocals. For me personally, recording is very fun, but also nerve racking. Everything has to be perfect, so stuff can get intense.

What will your new material sound like in comparison to your This Is Now EP?

Well we’re still sticking to a similar sound as the songs on the EP. However I feel that the new songs show a little more maturity in the bands writing abilities and a more chill vibe. We’re really excited to show you all what we have been working on.

How are your songs put together? Who comes up with lyrics and melodies?

Usually one of us comes up with an idea for a song and we just work with it. Even though we all help write and put our input into the songs, I would say Brandon comes up with most of the lyrics, melodies, and even music.

What’s your favorite song off the This Is Now EP? What’s the fans favorite song? What song do you enjoy to perform most?

I would say our favorite song is “This Is Now”. I think that might be the fans favorite song as well. Expect a new and improved version of that song in the near future! Playing live? “This Is Now” or “Shake This Town” are the most fun to play.

You have “bamboozle tent” listed on your tour dates on myspace. What will you be doing there? Are you going to watch any bands perform?

Yeah we’ll definitely be checking out the bands there! But we will also be there to hang out, meet people, sell merch, and maybe even play acoustic sets. Bamboozle is a huge event and it’s a great opportunity to spread the word about TRC even if we’re not playing on a stage.

How do you try to standout from other bands of the same genre?

A lot of music today… especially in the pop/rock scene…are a carbon copy of each other. Unfortunately sometimes it’s hard to avoid sounding similar to your contemporaries. I don’t know… I know it sounds cheesey, but I guess we just want to play music we enjoy. If we enjoy what we’re doing, I think others will enjoy it too.

How has the scene in Pennsylvania influenced your band?

Haha. We’re all from Lancaster, PA, which is primarily a hardcore/metal scene. nd it has seen success, especially with bands like August Burns Red. Therefore we all have had a heavier music background before starting this band. So I guess the scene in Lancaster just influenced us to do something that didn’t exist in Lancaster yet. And that is pop music. No screaming. No breakdowns. Crazy right? Luckily it’s been taken very well and more and more similar styled bands are popping up around the area.

What made you decide to record a cover of Taylor Swift? Do you perform this song live? How do fans react? Were you aware that the band, The Hoodies, recieved a “cease and desist order” from Sony because they covered Taylor Swift’s song?

Taylor Swift is not only a beautiful girl, but an amazing songwriter. We’re all fans of Tay Tay, so covering “Love Story” just felt right. And yeah we play it live, and fans love it! It’s great because even if a person never heard any of our songs before, they still have one they can relate and sing a long to. As far as the cease and desist order for The Hoodies… it’s a bummer, but at the same time… expected. When covering or borrowing any ideas from another persons works you need to obtain a license to do it legally. That’s what we did and we haven’t had any problems yet!

Can you give us one straight up random fact about each band member?

Brandon doesn’t need to do anything to his hair to make it look like that. He naturally looks like a lion.
Joe loves country music.
Doug has a ton of cats and is a graphic designer.
Curran is one of the most intense people you will ever meet.
I’m the youngest in the band and take way too long to get ready in the morning.

Any last words for the readers of Straight Up Random?

Umm I’m not sure! Haha… I guess just thank you guys so much for checking us out. We’ve had an amazing 6 months as a band so far and it’s all because of you guys. Expect A LOT from TRC in the coming months. If you never heard of us before, check us out and then tell a friend.

LINKS: MySpace / Facebook / Buzznet / purevolume