Interview: Coma Twins

What got you into music, and if you had not gotten into music what would you be doing today?

A: Well, at a very early age I would have to say my parents got me into music. They would host parties with their friends at my childhood home blasting all the 80’s hair metal you can think of from Motley Crue to Bon Jovi haha. And I would be running all over the house in excitement. But when I found my own identity in music, like most people from my generation I would assume, I’d have to give credit to Nirvana and Green Day. Both of those bands opened my world. My big thing at the time was dissecting and researching the thank you lists in their liner notes. That’s when I found out about so many amazing bands that launched me into a lifetime of identifying myself as a rock n roller.

And if I haven’t gotten into this world… I’ve worked at an insane amount of pizza shops and pizzerias. So I would assume I’d be making pies for the rest of my life. And I love pizza!

What do you like to do when your not playing music and how does that influence your creativity?

A: Outside of playing music I do a bit of collaging/construction paper artwork. I’d like to do it more, but most of my work I do for our band artwork. So the work with that and the music is mostly parallel.

How long has your band been around?

A: Coma Twins have technically been around since mid 2013. It started off as just me(Jason) and Sean writing a bunch of songs. Playing a few shows here and there. We did do a full band tour in October of 2018 up to Seattle and back to Los Angeles, but that lineup unfortunately fizzled. BUT now we have new great line of players to do our next dirty deeds with us.

Where are you based out of and how did that influence your music?

A: We hail from San Pedro, CA. Which is the harbor town of LA and is very rich in musical background. I of course have to mention The Minutemen, fIREHOSE, and Saccharine Trust who really put our town on the rock n roll map. How much more can I say? This town is rich and full influences.

How did you come up with the name of your band and what does it mean to you.

A: The name was derived from a cover band project the Sean had before we started writing together. They were called Christy Twins. Once Sean and I started thinking of ourselves as a band the name Coma Twins was a quick idea.

Tell me about the best and worst shows you have played.

A: Damn, this is a hard question…But a show that I will never forget that I hold dear to my heart is when my old band(Eine Kleine Chinmuzik) played the last Bent Outta Shape show at Tommy’s Tavern in Brooklyn, NY in 2006. We played with some of my favorite friends and bands that night…. The worst show is hard to remember because you try your best to forget about them. But I’ve definitely “played” shows where no one had shown up and it felt pointless to even set up our gear. Haha.

Tell me about your favorite venue to play at, and do you have any places you want to play that you haven't already?

A: Hands down my favorite venue to play is The Sardine in San Pedro. The place I think I would love to play most is First Avenue in Minneapolis. So much amazing history there. I’ve walked in there a couple of times and got goosebumps immediately.

If you could play any show with any lineup who would be on the ticket?

A: The Clash, The Replacements, 1964 Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, and fuck it if it’s my dream, The Beatles.

What is some advice that you would give to someone who is just getting into playing in a band?

A: My advice is always to play, play, play, and go on tour.

If you could go back in time and give yourselves advice, what would it be?

A: To not worry about the insignificant and tour more.

Of your songs which one means the most to you and why?

A: The Coma Twins song that means the most to me I guess would maybe be “Letting Go”. Cuz when I initially wrote it it was very skeletal, but as a collective we made it into something very cool. And when we on the rarity play I get the chills.

Which songs are your favorite to play and which get requested the most?

A: From our current setlist my favorite songs to play are probably Champ Learning and Dealer’s Grin. We usually play those songs back to back as something we call a “rock block”. It seems to get the crowds pumped. I think maybe the most requested song is “Whittier’s Alright For Fighting”, but unfortunately that’s not currently in our set. Whoops! But it will bee!

What is the creative process for the band, and what inspires you to write your music?

A: I think it’s pretty simple and normal. Sean and I write songs all the time. And sometimes we collaborate. But usually each of us will bring our respective songs to practice. And that’s where things really form. We have Mikey and Ryan on our belt. Those two are thee best folks you want on your side when it comes to putting a song together. Everything seems to come together very quickly when they’re on board.

As far as what inspires us…I think I can speak for both Sean and I that it’s just life. Everyday life. Hard days, happy days, depressions, fun bike rides, nightmares, and hangovers.

What kinds of messages do you like to get across in your music?

A: I always hope that when anyone see’s us play or listens to our music that it will inspire something within them. Whether it be to write and play music for themselves or if our music somehow helps them with their daily lives or thoughts. I would be so proud to hear that our music helped someone in any way.

Do you ever have disagreements in your band, and how do you get past them?

A: Sure we have disagreements. It’s because we’re passionate about what we do. Luckily for us when we come to crossroads like that, each of our egos are able to take step back and we hash it out in our practices. We very much try to keep every option open to serve the music.

What are your plans for the future, and do you have anything that you want to spotlight that's coming up?

A: We are are releasing our second album “Too Tired For Hell” digitally on March 11th. Also, we are about to embark on a tour starting on March 14th. Stretching from Albuquerque to Milwaukee to New York to Alabama. We’re very stoked. Once we get back, we’ll be gearing up for album number three.