Our top pick for this Friday’s Big Day Out is surf pop duo Best Coast on the Green Stage at 4pm. Lawrence asked front woman Bethany Cosentino about everything from Johnny Marr, cats, Drew Barrymore and weed, ahead of their NZ show.
Your Wikipedia entry refers to you as “garage rock”, “surf pop” and “lo-fi” – how would you label yourself?
I don’t really think it’s important or necessary to put a label on what my music sounds like, it is what it is. I just write what comes naturally to me, and if that is perceived as “garage rock” to someone–i guess there really isn’t much I can do about that.
You recently teamed up with Johnny Marr for his Ray-Ban inspiration project – were you a Smiths fan? And what was he like to work with?
I didn’t actually work with Johnny on the song. I was asked to be part of a project he was doing with Ray Ban, and being a Smiths fan, I definitely wanted to be part of it. I didn’t even meet him until we played a party together in New York a few months after we recorded the song. He’s a really nice guy, it’s crazy to meet people so legendary like that.
The video for “Our Deal” was produced by Drew Barrymore and featured Chloe Moritz, who was totally amazing as Hit Girl in “Kick Ass”. You’re clearly picking up some high profile fans. Who have you most enjoyed working with?
I’ve been pretty lucky over the last year or so to have been able to work with a lot of really amazing people. I think all of the experiences have been really fun, there isn’t really a favorite of them all, they’ve all been really great.
Has the success of “Crazy for You” made you want to up the stakes for album #2 – any grandiose ideas for big string sections and Brian Wilson-esque studio craziness?
I don’t want to make “Crazy For You part 2,”, but I don’t want to make something that sounds like a totally different band. We definitely are trying new things on this record, but we are doing a lot of the same stuff we did on the first. I’m just trying not to over think everything, trying to do what comes naturally to me.
Do you think you’ll ever compile all those early 7”s and EPs in one convenient package? Or am I doomed to a life of scouring eBay?
I’ve definitely thought about it before, but if it happens it’s something that will happen way down the line.
Are you a fan of any of the other bands on the Big Day Out bill? Who do you think you’ll be hanging out with in your downtime?
There are a lot of great bands on the tour, I’m stoked to be part of it. I really want to try and become buddies with Kanye West and somehow convince him to let me sing on stage with him or something.
What musicians inspire you?
Patsy cline, Fleetwood Mac, The Beach Boys, The Beatles..lot’s of different stuff. I’m mostly inspired by other female artists; people like Stevie Nicks, Loretta Lynn–women that made an impact with their music.
A lot is made in the press about your love of cats and weed? But surely there’s more to Best Coast than that. Tell us one interesting band fact that you think would surprise people.
We like dogs and whiskey
Interview by Lawrence Mikkelsen
