I have to admit, Coquette is a new act to my ears personally…but I see rock trio and am immediately intrigued. Paste magazine says ““For this three-piece band, dissonance, elaborate guitar solos and songs about unpleasant situations lie amidst down-and-dirty punk roots. Coquette has their ’70s rock touchstones down pat; they’re energetic, off-kilter…”. and rock these gents do. Energy in spades and warm tubular sounding guitar riffs, composition thought out the wazoo, and what I am certain will be a fun live set. I was lucky to catch up with Cobalt Tolbert (guitar and vocals) from the band to talk Tweed, living in Vermont by way of Europe and summer festivals. Check it.
1) For the fine folks who may not be as familiar with your work, how would you sum up your sound in a short phrase ?
Cobalt: Heady and gritty rock.
2) You guys are local boys to Vermont where the festival is taking place. How has being in that environment effected your sound as a group (or perhaps driven you away from what might traditionally come from the area?)? How about where you grew up in general?
Cobalt: Well, two-thirds of us had a childhood set in France and Angus’ folks are Brits, so there was always this slight cultural uneasiness growing up. Our sound came somewhat from rebelling against the fact that there was no real loud rock music scene around for us youths in a place where everyone’s just a little too easy-going for our taste. That being said, (if School House Rock taught me anything,) ideally, the US is a melting pot, and we all consider ourselves Vermonters to the core. Part of the VT state of mind has certainly seeped in and we never like to take ourselves too seriously. We’re an angular sidestep to the state musically, yet a fitting one for this weird, weird place we’ve learned to call our home.
3) Festivals are often celebrated for their collaborations, community and bringing folks together for a weekend where they may not see each other otherwise. Is there anyone in particular that you would like to see appear on stage together at Tweed? How about collaborating with you? What are you most excited for about Tweed this year?
Cobalt: I’d love to see an epic Southern Rock showdown between Bow Thayer and Waylon Speed. As for a collaboration, how great would it be to harness the power of punk and get the audience onstage in a “Lust For Life” type freakout? I doubt we’d get away with that and get invited back, but I can still dream! I’m just excited to run around making friends in the grass.
4) What is 1 record that shaped you when you first started playing and 1 ‘lesser known’ record or artist that you are now/are listening to now that you think folks really need to hear about?
Cobalt: The first real rock album I acquired when I was a young’un was Battle Of Los Angeles by Rage Against The Machine. Initially borrowed, and eventually taken (with an unspoken understanding) from my folks. Been listening to The Great Pretenders by Mini Mansions, and it’s definitely of of my favorite album of the year so far. It’s great; it harkens back to all sorts of different eras and sounds modern while doing it. Plus, it’s catchier than the flu everyone had last week.
5) So, why is creating music important to you? Why do you hit the stage night after night, pull out the old song notebook every day, or whatever else you do to let loose your creativity?
Cobalt: Making music is just what I do best. Ever since I was a kid, I knew I wanted to be a musician, but it seemed like an impossible undertaking, and now it’s my living. I need to entertain. It’s my main addiction. There’s nothing quite like the rush you get from really blowing a crowd’s mind and watching them lose their inhibitions. The point is to get the party going.
6) Aside from music, do you have any other pastimes? What would you want people to know about you aside from your musical endeavors?
Cobalt: I tend to rewatch True Detective and Game Of Thrones or yell at nature documentaries with friends. That takes an unsettlingly large amount of my time. I also work sometimes at Sweet Melissa’s in Montpelier, where I bartend, host open mic, or just act as a discount socialite.
7) Anything else you want to plug or we should know?
Cobalt:We’re currently writing and planning on releasing a new EP hopefully by the end of the year or early 2016. We’re also part of a music collective/Radio station/movement called CaBallBreakeRadio and they’re doing awesome work for musicians around VT and NH. They were featured on NPR recently. Check them out. Like us on Facebook, come out to shows, and keep the party going and growing!
Check the fellas out for yourself: https://www.facebook.com/coquette
And get your tickets for Tweed today: http://tweedrivermusicfestival.com/tickets/