COIN is on the Cusp of a Sweet Return Following Their New Single “Take It Or Leave It”
The Nashville indie-pop/rock band COIN is stirring from a two-year slumber since their last record, and while a taste of the final product has arrived, it took a bit of relearning, redirection, and rejuvenation for the band to get here. Made up of Chase Lawrence as the frontman, Ryan Winnen on drums, and Joe Memmel on leading guitar, the three-piece group is gearing up to release their anticipated fifth studio album, I’m Not Afraid of Music Anymore. Their new single “Take It Or Leave It” dances around the idea of being caught in the push and pull of a heartbreak’s aftermath– a plea for the other to leave wholeheartedly if an ending is truly the solution.
Photo via COIN
Having formed back in 2012, the members of COIN were collegemates before bandmates. Knowing each others’ strengths after years of playing together has only propelled them towards becoming the successful, well-functioning band that is reflected in their music– they know where they fit into the puzzle and when to take a step back to let the others shine through. One thing has stayed true throughout their career– they play music to have fun. Ever since their self-titled debut album was put out into the world in 2015, they’ve played an integral role in genre-blending for the indie-pop/rock scene.
In an Instagram post from June of last year, COIN hinted at the making of a new album, though fans would have to patiently wait another year before hearing any hint of it. And patiently wait, they did. The release of the band’s first single, “Strawberry Jam,” broke the silence a few weeks ago, and it’s the indie-pop/rock perfection that the band never fails to concoct.
Yet, it wasn’t a seamless journey. The band shared a short message about the questions they needed to ask themselves and each other before committing to another project: “After finishing our last album, we didn’t write a song for about a year. That was odd,” they admitted. “There were all kinds of roadblocks. If the band was a machine, the gears were gummed up with unsaid words, lack of inspiration, and flat-out confusion.” With a bit of self-reflection and pseudo-therapy with their friend Gabe, they figured out a common thread between their individual stories– fear: “It seemed like we were afraid of everything– small desires, big dreams, rejection, redirection, being complacent, being okay with complacency. It was complicated.”
After a necessary period of introspection, COIN is feeling free again and can’t stop writing. This newfound vibrancy seeps into their new single, the intro wasting no time with its upbeat tempo and succinct thoughts: “Last night I wanted to call you / With blood in my mouth / But there’s not much I could say” Lawrence blurts out over a snappy snare. His vocals in the second verse are textured and gravelly: “Just spit it right out / And shove it right in my face,” Lawrence demands, desiring for there to be no space to tiptoe around the truth, as brutal as it might be. As if swallowed by a flurry of frustration and hurt, he sings with fervor atop skillfully layered, jangly guitars for the chorus, the blunt request for honesty remaining the overarching theme: “Just tear me apart / If you’re gonna leave me.”
He turns inward for a painstakingly self-confronting outro, arriving at a conclusion that ultimately points the finger at himself: “Where did all the time go? / When did I turn psycho?” He mulls it over before leaving it at“Back of mind / I’m better off alone.”
It’s been a sweet return, and COIN couldn’t have said it better – “Blah blah blah COIN is back.”
Give “Take It Or Leave It” a listen, which is now streaming on all platforms. Their fifth studio album I’m Not Afraid of Music Anymore comes out September 13th, which you can preorder now.
