Interview with Coastal Fire Dept.

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

Loved music from a very early age & then was asked to sing in a band.  Wanted to do more so graduated to guitar soon after.  If I wasn’t playing music I’d be watching music.  By the way, music is not a full time job for me.

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

Chill out, listen to music, socialise & a bit of walking. The music I wrote is influenced by observations, feelings or stories already told so away from music I’m always fired up creatively.

How long has your band been around?

About 9 years on and off.

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

Guernsey and what happens in Guernsey sometimes does influence but really it’s 90’s grungy alt rock bands that have been the influence. Plus some later ones like Balance & Composure, Violent Soho & loads more.

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

I was walking home after work, looked towards the French coast & it looked like it was on fire. I wondered if they had a Fire Dept. on the coast to sort it out. I checked when I got home & there weren’t any Coastal Fire Dept.’s!

Tell me about your most memorable shows.

Playing at the Fighting Cocks earlier this year was really good raucous fun. And some ladies at the back kept whooping at the end of every song! There was a great after party and more partying going on into the early hours. Was a fun night.

What is your favorite venue to play at, and do you have any places you want to play that you have not already?

In Guernsey it’s The Fermain Tavern when it’s packed. It’s a legendary venue and great to play.  Also, loved playing at the Hope & Anchor last year where bands like The Damned, Joy Division, The Cure played back in the day.

We would love to play a few more venues further afield nothing too big! Nice small almost seedy & intimate venues would suit us!

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

Ozzy would probably want to play with The Who in their heyday. Saad would go for The Stereophonics.  I’d go for Nirvana and for a modern day band Violent Soho (but they’ve just gone on hiatus).

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

Go for it just go for it! Write and play the best music you can that encapsulates you. As for advice to my younger self…never listen to anyone you wouldn’t go to for advice.

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

Dunno! It would be ignore the haters and reach for the sky! And have fun doing it!

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

Probably ‘Loner’. It’s quite a personal song plus we had Kellii Scott from Failure play on it.

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

Probably the quicker heavier songs like ‘I Don’t Wanna Hold Your Hand’ or ‘Gentleman’ (a newer one).  ‘Fuck The Scene’ often gets requested and audience participation!

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

I write them all and take them into rehearsals from fully formed to riff ideas. We quickly whittle them down and then rehearse them over & over!

Anything can inspire me. Usually I have periods when I feel very creative and that’s when I work at it.  If I don’t feel it, it’s hardly unlikely I’ll work on anything new.

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

I don’t always like to give out messages because a lot of the songs are about feelings & emotions so it’s up to the listener to interpret or understand. If I do give out any messages they are generally positive but hidden a little in the screaming & noise!

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

Never had them! It’s a team effort and a team decision in everything.

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

We been asked to gig quite a bit in the USA. If we can sort out visas we’ll do that. We also want to gig a lot more in the UK.

Coming up is four singles, an album and possibly an EP (of unused tracks). Late next year will be three new singles we are working on now.

Keep in touch - https://www.facebook.com/CoastalFireDept/