Interview with 2070, el cid 6/19/23
As long as the opening band isn’t anything I can’t find on a UC radio station’s cluttered CD shelf, I usually like to stay and watch for a while. The crowds may be dull as they attempt to decipher whether the music is worth their attention, but the few listening are decently impressed. Most of the time, they won’t get anywhere far. This is one of the disappointing aspects of the LA music scene. However, with all genres considered, it makes some interesting discoveries.
I understand the annoyance of writing about two separate bands from the same night, but 2070’s performance opening for Bar Italia was something I would have kicked myself for if I had missed it. After one song, I pulled out my notebook and began to write anything that came to my head– I knew I would have to interview them despite knowing nothing but what had laid before me. Until the actual interview, I hadn’t even known the band’s name. After “excuse me”-ing my way to the front, knocking over someone’s propped recent purchase of Tracey Denim in the process, I was able to grab the bassist’s attention.
2070 originated in their home state of Michigan without any stable bandmates. Frontman Trevor Coleman began the band alongside bassist Khari Cousins’ brother before Khari took his place. The band’s current lineup consists of drummer Rogers DeCoud, guitarist Danny Rincon, Coleman, and Cousins.
Cultivating a fanbase out home, the band had some general success in surrounding cities. After moving out to LA with other 2070 bandmates, the pair began assimilating into a new landscape.
Much of the band came to be in spur-of-the-moment decisions, as each band member have their own additional side projects to focus on. Two of the three are indie-lofi artists, with the drummer DeCloud being a DJ. Despite this, their work doesn’t clash.
COU: “I feel like our own solo stuff is all very different, but we have very similar interests in music.”
COL:“We realized we play really well with each other.”
For me, this statement was not shocking.
Their sound fills the room, and I had explicitly asked them if it was the venue or how they genuinely play, realizing after that the question sounded slightly backhanded.
COU: “We still record softer but I feel like we still play it somewhat louder to like, give it that like ambiance– that like fills up the room.”
Once again, no surprise here. It is one of the beauties of seeing the band live, your experience is nowhere near the same as remote listening. I had mentioned to them that their imperfect playing added an element of reality that many current artists desperately try to erase. Artists have begun to sound formulated for live music, with their production tuned to what is believed to be imperfect perfection– a simulation of raw performance. While I am nowhere near calling 2070 the finest performers in LA, they have true character. Their fear of mistakes is not at the forefront of performance; they don’t become hindered by an overly loud chord.
COU: “ I don’t know if it is intentional it just always happens that way. I think we are just comfortable with it being that way. [...] We just kinda play through it, but it’s always something.”
Unfortunately, due to the owners of the venue yelling for us to leave and my inability to write legibly, the other questions were left unanswered. After the initial viewing, I can confirm they will be on my radar, and should be on yours too.
2070 is signed (but not consummated) under the label Already Dead; their discography has been consistently growing, with singles released relatively regularly.
