Earnest indie rockers The Coast have had a very busy Spring. They are about to wrap up a lengthy North American tour that took them to every big city in the US and Canada. Their debut record Expatriate just came out this week on Aporia Records, and they are releasing it at the Horseshoe this Friday night.

Aside from the fact that all their worldly possessions were stolen in Victoria, The Coast are doing really great. I spoke with Ben Spurr and Ian Fosbery about that unfortunate incident and about their new record.

Keep reading for the complete interview.

blogTO: Why are you called The Coast?

Ben Spurr: We are called the Coast after a Paul Simon song from the album Rhythm of the Saints.

How would you describe your sound using only a noun?

The sound of this record is pretty diverse. There are some real sing along pop tracks, and then there are some that sound to me like sad country songs. Sounds like the Coast!

You've been a band for a long time. How did you form and what made you decide to be in a band?

I think for all the reasons other people form bands. To get girls and to have something to do besides go to high school.

Your new record sounds a lot different to me than your EP. The songs and the actual sound of the record are both different. Were both planned?

Ian Fosbery: We probably wouldn't say it was planned, but there was a conscious effort to change. It's tough to just throw a switch and have a different sound all of a sudden, but I guess it did help that there was quite a lot of time between recording the EP and the full length. I think that on this record we wanted to be a lot more direct. We weren't so concerned with writing perfect songs or anything, we just wanted to capture the energy of the band, which has become a lot more direct and energetic since we started touring heavily last year. Our producer, Chris Stringer, also helped push us in new directions as well as stretch our sound more than just guitars, bass and drums. Without him the record probably would have sounded much different.

What was it like listening to your first finished album once it came back from manufacturing?

Ben Spurr: Records take so long to make from start to finish, it's kind of like sculpting with cement as it dries. It comes together bit by bit, every day. So it's hard to pin point a time when you think, "this is done". Like, we knew how the record was going to sound before we got the final package. But it is pretty satisfying to see the cover artwork and everything all put together.

What do you like best about living in Toronto?

The bars.

What do you like least?

Scarborough.

What is your preferred means of transportation in the city?

Bicycle.

I heard about you getting robbed in Victoria. A real shame. Looking back - is there anything you could have done differently that day to avoid being robbed?

Well we built a big wooden, padlocked box in the back of the van, where we usually threw all our stuff when we parked. But after we went through DC, New York, Chicago, LA, and San Francisco, we figured we had dodged the bullet, and got a little less vigilant, and left some of our stuff just in the backseat Victoria. Obviously a mistake.

What can people expect to see/hear/feel at your CD release party at the Horseshoe Friday night?

We've got some special guests playing with us that night on various songs. As well the opening bands are all really great.

The Coast CD Release Party
w/ Wooden Sky, The Ghost is Dancing, Mixel Pixel (NYC)
Friday April 18, 2008
The Horseshoe Tavern
Tickets $8 advance at Rotate This, Soundscapes, The Horseshoe
Doors 8pm

Photo: Jamie Campbell.