Crooked Coast was formed in the summer of 2012 by Cape Cod natives Luke Vose, John McNamara, Ben Elder and Charles Walton. They distilled their hometown’s celebratory summers and harsh winters into the 2013 album Thanks for the Memories with infectious hooks, sweaty dance floor rhythms, big guitars and wordplay both outlandish and everday.
For two years they toured the East Coast playing festivals, clubs, bars and colleges. They conceptualized and self produced music videos. Elder and Vose took their passion for art and design and turned the band’s merchandise into a budding clothing line.
In 2015 they released Wildlife. Capenews.net described it as, “an album that pops with wild swagger.” Wildlife is the sound of a band that has grown together. The production is polished but the songs are brash. Driven by Walton and Elder’s thunderous rhythm section McNamara’s full throated rock ’n roll howl and Vose’s raw nerve, heart on the sleeve rap/singing volley back and forth over blistering guitar hooks. The album has shades of the Strokes on the doomed love song Domino, Social Distortion on the country punk number Martyr and Sublime on the sun bleached World Spins where Luke remembers, “I was sixteen in a Honda hatchback/ Doing one-sixteen down route six and back.”
The lead single “Go Back” is tipsy trip through the memories a small town. Charles Walton’s DJ Premier inspired drums drive the story about being pushed into a cold world. John McNamara sings, “I remember all the times before/ Well that won’t happen anymore/ All the times that I regret/ I’m all set/ You can’t go back again,” before the song breaks into gang chorus of brothers in arms.
Pixy 103 radio DJ Lori Lori quickly picked up the song saying, “I had to play them. It’s has a very catchy melody that will keep you singing long after you hear it. The music, the voices and the energy make this album one to own for sure.” 95.5 WBRU put the song into rotation as well saying, “The mix between indie rock and hip-hop is not too common, yet Crooked Coast manages to add a unique twist on both genres.”
They filmed a music video for “Go Back” with director Nicholas Santos on location in NYC and Cape Cod capturing the energy of a band on the verge.
The recent music video for No Caroline No is a sun soaked island party with boats, floats and skateboards.
During the winter of 2016 Crooked Coast toured California playing House of Blues, beach bars and LA rock clubs as well as recording at BNV Studios Hollywood. The band made a splash turning on a whole other side of the country onto Wildlife. The tour inspired the band, hitting them with a lightning bolt of energy and possibility.
Crooked Coast continues to pave their own road to success with bold music, visual art and explosive live shows touring the east and west coast.