Cosio Interview: Know Your LA Bands

BeatCrave brings you band, Cosio, as part of our Know Your LA Bands series. This five-piece band is no stranger to the pages of BeatCrave as they were not only a BeatCrave Fav of the week but also our winner for BeatCrave Fav of July. So we decided to please you, our loyal readers, as well as ourselves by featuring them in a full interview!

Cosio, a band that is part testosterone and estrogen, creates beauty in sophisticated form through their charming, mystical folk rock sounds. Led by tender yet unyielding vocals, their orchestration is enticing as a night out on the town in Paris. Although LA is comprised of mostly alternative and noise rock bands, Cosio combines every imaginable instrument for refreshing and unusual melodies that stick with you like a lifelong fantasy.

Blending the genres of singer-songwriter folk and alternative rock, their lyrics belong in a thick hard-cover book which holds stories of the supernatural legends. Interwoven with strings, bangitar, and tom drums, the color of their music enhances these tales. Their debut album, The Cacophonist, provides this enlightenment and much more.

Check out our exclusive interview and get to know Cosio below!

How did you all decide to be friends and when did you actually form the band?

Mike: Lou Pearlman put us together, whipped us into shape, and showed us our dance moves. (Wink, wink. Sparkle tooth!)

Which parts of LA are you all currently from?

Jeremy: Simi Valley, Box Canyon and North Hollywood.

There aren’t enough folk-rock indie bands in this massive sea of noise-rock bands in LA.  Did you aim for this mystical folk sound from the beginning?

Bobby: Not entirely. The sound evolved from a single act in a coffee shop to an assemblage of five distinct influences.  To say we aimed for this sound would be too planned.  We really didn’t start out envisioning this sound; it just sort of naturally grew over time, and continues to do so the longer we play together.

Do you guys have a songwriting process? If so, how does it usually work?

Abigail: Yes, I write a skeleton-like song and bring it to the band giving them a feel, based on the story being told or the initial idea for the feeling.  Each member then more or less takes that and writes their own respective part on whatever instrument they choose and we make revisions based on how the song develops within our group dynamic.

Where did the title for the album, The Cacophonist, come from?

Jeremy: The School of Seven Bells was taken.

In regards to the recording of your full-length, were there more of blood, sweat or tears?

Bobby: 3 cups blood. 2 TBSP sweat and a pinch of tears. Mix together in a bowl, bake at 104 degrees in East LA, let cool….toss it completely and make the whole thing over again in a train car in Van Nuys. Let cool and serve with $3 wine.

There is an amazing plethora of instruments on stage with you guys, including a washboard.  What are these other “various instruments?”

Julie: On stage with us, you will see….a banjitar, toy piano, accordion, saxophone, tin can, organ, music box, lots and lots of floor toms, guitars, bass, drums, stomping feet, shakers and various percussion, along with anything found in the trash that makes an interesting noise.

So you got to play two sets at the FYF Fest this year.  How did that work out since they were so close in time?  Would you do it again?

Bobby: (Long sigh.) After check in, we were told to play at the Oak stage. We set up, got a set time of 4:30 and wandered off, only to find our name listed for 3:25 on the Sequoia stage.  Realizing that we had the opportunity to capitalize on an oversight and play two sets, we hauled our gear over and set up again at the Sequoia stage, only to be told moments later that we were cut entirely due to time constraints.

The organizer of the FYF did not notice that we were scheduled at the other stage, so we high tailed it back to the Oak stage again, and in a frenzy set up and played by the skin of our teeth and the help of both stage managers.  It was a wild time and we would absolutely do it again.

I love your cover of “Sweet Caroline” which is featured in the making of video for The Cacophonist.  How did that cover come about?

Abigail: Jeremy and I went in on a Sunday and covered it for kicks. Mike, Julie and Bobby really thought it had something, so we refined it in mixing and Julie managed to get licensing from Neil Diamond, our hero, who has been a guilty pleasure of ours for some time.

We all like to think the good music will prevail, and we agree with the fact that there is a battle for artistic credibility in music today.  Which artists do you think are winning this battle with their craftsmanship out there today?

All: The Avett Brothers, Arcade Fire, Tom Waits, Felice Brothers and of course Neil Diamond….paving the way!

Quick-Fire Round:
Which music festivals would you love to play in the future?

Abigail: Any and all, with the exception of Ozzfest.  We are too metal for that festival!

What is your favorite LA venue to play at?

Mike: Hotel Cafe

Where is your favorite place to eat in LA?

Julie: Mrs. Buddy Hackett’s house.

Which album are you currently listening to right now?

Bobby: Aeroplane – Neutral Milk Hotel
Abigail: Don Quixote – Books on Tape
Jeremy: New Orleans Jazz Vipers
Mike: Self-Titled – Devil Makes Three
Julie: Watch Me Fall – Jay Reatard

Tell us one thing about yourself we probably don’t already know.

Bobby: Jeremy has the prettiest feet in the band.

Will you be catching one of Cosio’s upcoming shows? Check out these dates!

09/18  San Francisco, CA @ Rockit Room
10/18  Los Angeles, CA @ El Cid
10/24  Venice, CA @ Alchemist Archive
11/24  Los Angeles, CA @ New Puppy Gallery

Photography by Kristin Burns