Radical Music # The Coathangers

It's a little tough to orchestrate an interview with a band through email, it's even tougher when your trying to catch the band before they head off to SXSW.

But I'm determined, The Coathangers are a band I stumbled upon on one of my epic YouTube adventures the ones in which you click on any music video in the vain hope of finding something/anything! that will keep you entertained for the remaining 5 minutes of your lunch break so you don't have to look up & accidently meet a colleagues eye and then have to continue the farce that is fake joy of having to spend yet more time with work-talk! Yaaay!

No? Just me then.

A 'Coathanger' amongst my friends was slang for the girlfriend you saw at the side of a gig holding her boyfriends/friends coat, the one who didn't want to get down and dirty and participate in the show let alone be associated with the act of enjoying herself. Her sole purpose was to be a Human Coathanger & to look on disapproving-ly at those having fun.

I thought it was a pretty cool name for a girl band, turns out there's an alternative meaning for the band name, but I like mine better. If you have crass humour & except explicit content then you will love this band, if you don't walk on walk on buddy! there's nothing here for You to see.
Personal favorite Don't Touch My Shit. (Big Family Syndrome)

First off how did the band name come about?
The band name came about after a road trip to an anti Bush rally in DC about six years ago, we were just throwing around the idea of starting a band up and that was the one that stuck. And yes we do hang our clothes up on coathangers on the regular...

What inspires your music?
Everything really, from past experiences that are serious to dumb ass insider jokes

Do you have a method to the madness that is songwriting?
There is a process, a loose one that but we all write everything from lyrics to actual music. Usually someone will come up with a guitar hook or a drum beat etc. and then we jam it out usually adding lyrics last.

What is the first album /single you bought (truthfully)
First albums bought bought by all the members of the band in no particular order are:
1. Rubber Soul//The Beatles
2. Like a Virgin//Madonna
3. As Bad as I Wanna Be//2LiveCrew
4. Tragic Kingdom//NoDoubt

What bands are you listening to?
New bands we love are The Tough Shits, White Mystery (our tour buddies), eets feets, the Numerators, Habibi, Barrerracudas, Los Headaches, Cosmonaughts.

If you could choose any other genre of music to play as a band what would it be and why?
Probably a surf rock Hip Hop fusion cuz why the heck not?!

What is the most Radical thing you have done?
I went surfing with Michelangelo from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in Venice Beach brah!!! Totally Radical!

(My favourite answer to this question so far...not sure if it was real or imagined but I so want to believe it happened.)

The Coathangers are currently touring around America, so no chance of catching them in the UK yet. But, when they do.
Be a pal don't be a Coathanger, is no fun.

RP