On April 27, located in Concordia’s very own Memorial Auditorium, students and faculty will be joined by the cherubs that comprise the indie pop group, COIN. Packed like sardines in a sweaty tin, I cannot wait to take part in the excitement of this year’s Cornstock.
The group formed in 2012 while the (then) quartet attended Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee. Chase Lawrence, Ryan Winnen, Joe Memmel and Zach Dyke were fellow students in a music theory class. Sharing their love for music, they formed a group that quickly become popular across the college scene in Nashville. The group gained serious attention by Billboard and Sirius Radio in 2015, with the release of their self-titled album, COIN. Their most popular singles off of the album, “Run” and “Atlas,” were highly acclaimed and received heavy airplay. In September of 2018, the groups bassist, Zach Dyke, left the group to work on producing music for other artists. Matt Martin is currently touring with the group as a stand-in bassist.
Just two years later, the group released their most recent album, How Will You Know If You Never Try. Aside from the music, the album cover offers creativity and artistry. A classic gravestone is posed in a red room with red shag carpet. The gravestone reads the album title, and a calla lily sits in a vase beside it. Birthday candles are scattered in front of the gravestone with a hand lingering above. The only way I can describe this album art is ominous, and maybe kind of hot?
The album is comprised of eleven songs. The most popular hit off of the album, “Talk Too Much” pleased pop and indie fans alike. Storming the airwaves, it was played endlessly during orientation this fall. While I want to love the song, I just cannot. This fall, while I was minding my business in Anderson Commons, I got up to toast myself a sweet, sweet everything bagel. As I made my way to the bread station, I slipped on an orange slice. Full on slipped. Ass hit the ground slipped. Like a scene out of a movie, a group of music students swarmed into Anderson Commons belting “Talk Too Much,” only stopping to giggle at my dismay. If this was any of you, if you see me in public, please never bring this up ever again. I get a pain in my chest to this day whenever I hear this song.
There has been a lot of talk for the past few months across the music community as to when COIN will release their 2019 collection of songs. Since February of 2018, the group has released four different singles that will be featured on the upcoming album. Fans have spoken highly of the new singles across Twitter. On a fun note, 2017 Cornstock openers, and Minnesota natives, Hippo Campus, are known friends of COIN. In January of 2018, a fan tweeted COIN, asking, @COIN who’s an artist you have always wanted to collab with?” @COIN responded, “are we doing this @thehalocline.” Ugh, I love it when worlds collide.
This upcoming Saturday, Cornstock will take place in Memorial Auditorium from 9:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m., with DJ Slick as our student opener, Sa-Roc and Lauren Sanderson as our openers, with COIN as our headliner. Despite the traumatic memory I have with “Talk Too Much,” I hope that after Saturday, the rest of the Concordia Community is able to rock out to it. Stay safe, be fun and boogie!
