Comprising of Daniel Toro, Carlos Donato (“Charlie Grey”) and Luis Mattos Vega (“Louie V”), The Northcoast combine the pulsating beats of Michael Jackson and the slick basslines of Passion Pit and Chvrches to produce a delightful retro/modern sound.
Their new song, “With You,” was produced by Tom Lord-Alge and is the perfect feel-good summer single. The three members of the band hail from New York, New Jersey and Seattle, but show how distance is no obstacle these days when it comes to making music, having written together via email now for over 10 years.
How are you all? What have you been doing recently?
“We are doing well, thanks for asking. Lately we’ve been putting together the final pieces of our full-length in hopes of getting it out as soon as possible.”
Please tell me about the new single, “With You.” Who wrote it, what’s it about, etc.?
“This song has really come a long way. It’s a far cry from the track it started out as. Initially a remix of “Rock with You,” we eventually just took bits and pieces to write an original track.
“Charlie had been going through a rough on-and-off relationship, and it took him a while to realise it was pretty toxic. However, the lyrics turned into something of a ‘bromance’ song about our relationship as friends. We weren’t always very nice to each other. I guess we grew up and realised we were more similar than not.”
I enjoyed the accompanying video. What was the concept? Where did the bags over the head idea come from? Might you use those bags in future videos?
“Honestly, we needed to figure out a way to make a video that seemed like we were both there and this was one of our first ideas. I think it only took about two or three phone calls to figure it out and once we landed on it, we knew it was the way to go. I’m not sure how much thought we’ve really put in to using the bags again. It’s always a possibility though.”
The song has been very well received. Were you pleasantly surprised by the positive reception or deep down did you always think you had something special?
“I think we knew the track was good, but we didn’t really expect much reception. To an extent we knew we were on to something special and it has been a constant feeling with our new material. It’s weird because in the short time we’ve been together we have watched our music change into something that is becoming bigger than us.”
Will the single be on an upcoming EP or album? If so, when might that be released?
“Yes. It will be part of the EP we plan to release in the coming months. Don’t have a release date set, as we are hoping it comes after our next single entitled ‘Reach into The Stars’ which should be out soon.”
How would you define your sound? Who have been your biggest musical influences?
“I think we’ve landed on some kind of synthpop. We are trying to invoke sounds and feelings from the 1980s with some more modern qualities. I think it goes without saying we’ve been influenced by acts from Prince to The 1975 and everything in between.”
How long have the two of you been making music together? When and where did you first meet? Where did the name ‘The Northcoast’ come from?
“Over a decade now. We first met in 2004 when Charlie asked my brother to join his band. I kind of tagged along since they needed a drummer to jam with and ended up joining for subsequent months. The name is just a reference to our geographical location in the US.”
What are your plans for the rest of 2016 and beyond? What ambitions, professionally speaking, do you hope to fulfill?
“We’d hope to land a really good tour and be able to finally reach fans outside our territory. Currently in talks with a few companies about elevating our career to other levels but nothing we’re really able to disclose at this moment since nothing is concrete yet.”
“With You” is out now.
