Coin Banks
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Coin Banks

Of 10 new tours announced each week, chances are only one or two visit a regional town. Living in a regional city at times may seem like a sacrifice to seeing big-name bands, but as Coin Banks has quickly discovered, the fans in those regional areas give back 110 per cent regardless of how many times they’ve been missed.
“I think it’s super vital for music to continue growing in Australia,” he says of visiting regional towns.
“I didn’t really realise how important it was until I went on a regional tour with 360. Then I saw how, not only are they starved out there for live music, mainly music that’s not from around the area, but they also really really love music.
“You go there and they’re less picky, I guess because they’ve seen less, but they’re much more open to different music and much more open to stuff they haven’t heard. I noticed if you play in the city if they haven’t got your stuff or heard of you then they probably won’t listen to you, you know, ‘We don’t know who you are’. Whereas in the country and the regional areas it’s kind of the opposite. If they haven’t heard of you they’re really excited to see something new.”
The Perth emcee who first cut his teeth in groups The Stoops, Letters to the Sun and UPNUP, has since gone out on his own and is hitting the regional towns (including Colac on October 2) as part of The Setlist initiative.
After touring with 360 and discovering a love for visiting the lesser travelled corners of Australia, it was a no-brainer to sign up with The Setlist: an initiative designed to help some of the hottest new live acts reach new audiences. Essentially making regional touring financially possible.
“I’m really happy to be a part of The Setlist,” he adds without question, and is something he hopes to continue regardless of his involvement with the initiative.
“I definitely want to [keep touring regionally] and think it’s really important even though you’re not going to make that much money off it or it’s not going to be the same type of crowds. It’s pretty important because they support the music just as much and they’re fans,” he says.
The choice to step out of the capital cities came almost as easily for Coin Banks as the decision to go out on his own. While he loved the dynamic of a group, the benefits of being a soloist are more than paying off, penning such hits as ‘Think of You’, ‘Someone’ and ‘Hatches’.
“It’s a lot easier I guess because you don’t have to work around other people’s schedules, so it’s easier in that sense,” he says.
“But I think the greatest thing about working in a group is being able to bounce ideas off each other and get good feedback and ones that you can honestly trust. From being in those groups I still have relationships with those people, like Marksman Lloyd from UPNUP. We send each other all our stuff and get feedback throughout the creative process.”
His career has been one of many smart choices, whether it’s a collaboration with the likes of Ta-Ku and Atom or the word play that can be seen in his two EP releases.
“I’d had it as an idea in the back of my mind for a while so I finally had the opportunity to use it,” he says of clever word play from his Heads and Tails EP releases.
A pun that can be appreciated by all, what’s more refreshing is the versatile sounding music that comes from each, many with a nod to the old school stylings of the Native Tongues movement and the modern day equivalent of Top Dawg Entertainment.
“It just kind of happened naturally I guess, it’s hard for me listening to it to see the big difference I suppose,” he says.
“I think through time the music developed into something else and that’s kind of reflected. I guess then what comes out in the album will be different again but still the same in ways. I knew I had to do something different and show a different side but I didn’t start out making it with that intention.”
An album of which, Coin Banks assures me is well underway. “Most of it’s written, pretty much 90 per cent written I just need to get in there and record it,” he adds with a laugh.
Written by Amanda Sherring
 
When & Where: COPACC, Colac – October 2