They are The Band Cope, a San Diego-based band, and they would love to tell us about their upcoming record, “Georgia,” which will be released on April 7. They play queer indie/alternative music with grunge/punk undertones.
They are pleased that, with this song, they improved their sound by introducing more transparency and depth. “Georgia” is softer than their earlier releases. At the end of May, They will release an EP, with “Georgia” serving as its lead single. The song will be released with a music video across all platforms! Check out the exclusive interview below:
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1. Can you tell us a bit about where you come from and how it all got started? T
THE BAND COPE: Bill and Ellie are from northern California, Marc is from France, and we all met when we were teenagers at Berklee College of Music. We all did their separate things until 2019 when we reconnected in San Diego and started The Band Cope.
2. Did you have any formal training or are you self-taught?
THE BAND COPE: We all have semi-formal training – I mean we all spent a semester or 2 at music college and had private instruction as kids. Ellie is self-taught on guitar, she was in school for jazz piano and electronic music production and then got sour about what she was studying and wanted to try being a DIY indie guitar kid
3. Who were your first and strongest musical influences and why the name ‘THE BAND COPE’?
THE BAND COPE: Strongest musical influences would have to be 90s/2000s alternative – Rilo Kiley, Radiohead, Hole, etc. Also feel super inspired by some more contemporary indie artists from all styles – been into Soccer Mommy, Brakence, Willow, Hannah Jadagu. We are named The Band Cope because Ellie’s last name is “Cope”. Initially we wanted to just be “COPE” but that’s already taken, so we slapped “The Band” in front of it.
4. What do you feel are the key elements in your music that should resonate with listeners, and how would you personally describe your sound?
THE BAND COPE: Our sound is all about nostalgia – we want the listener to feel like they’ve heard the song before but they aren’t sure where.
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5. Could you describe your creative processes? How do usually start, and go about shaping ideas into a completed song? Do you usually start with a tune, a beat, or a narrative in your head? And do you collaborate with others in this process?
THE BAND COPE: Ellie will normally come to rehearsal with a rough sketch of chords and clear lyrical structure. Bill will then write the bass part and often adjust chords, and Marc creates the drum part and groove. Marc will often set the tempo too. I think the starting point varies for each song, but the best songs are when chords and lyrics start at the exact same time – total flow.
6. With social media having a heavy impact on our lives and the music business in general, how do you handle criticism, haters, and/or naysayers in general? Is it something you pay attention to, or simply ignore?
THE BAND COPE: I love the idea of having a ton of haters. Social media is crazy, sometimes I’ll see that someone is hating on our music and I’ll get excited because I know that means the algorithm is going to push whatever we posted. Maybe we should start making fake accounts to spread hate. I’m sure some artists do that.
7. Do you feel that your music is giving you back just as much fulfillment as the amount of work you are putting into it or are you expecting something more, or different in the future?
THE BAND COPE: If we had expectations related to the low key insane amount of work put into this, we’d probably have given up years ago. It’s not really about anything but fulfillment – fans and followers and shows are awesome but yea we do this for us.
8. For most artists, originality is first preceded by a phase of learning and, often, emulating others. What was this like for you? How would you describe your own development as an artist and music maker, and the transition towards your own style, which is known as INDIE?
THE BAND COPE: We feel generally very comfortable with emulating others. All 3 of us love music deeply, it’d be weird to try and NOT sound like the music we love. I think people who say they don’t sound like anyone maybe aren’t realizing we all (in some ways) sound like someone else – it’s all about the how. And it’s useful to know who you sound like, and lean into or away from that. Often emulating someone in terms of songwriting is just making up rules. Sometimes we will do exercises where the lyrics have to be a certain rhyme scheme or using a certain word, the time signature needs to be 6/8 to 4/4, there needs to be a drum solo – whatever. We will create these non-negotiable before actually writing the song.
9. What has been the most difficult thing you’ve had to endure in your life or music career so far?
THE BAND COPE: Growing up
10. On the contrary, what would you consider a successful, proud or significant point in your life or music career so far?
THE BAND COPE: Touring through the Pacific Northwest and all of California last year. Post-covid, felt incredible to get on the road and see new parts of the world.
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Photo Credit: @strangeexposures