The year is 2012 and in the heart of Nashville, Tennessee, Chase Lawrence, Ryan Winnen, and Joe Memmel are making music together. What started off as jam sessions and simple collaborations quickly turned into the American alt-pop trio rarity, COIN. COIN turned all the heads in mainstream music with the release of their self-titled debut album in 2015. The band followed up with their second studio album two years later, How Will You Know If You Never Try, which featured their hit single “Talk Too Much” that became their first original to chart on Billboard’s Top Alternative Songs.
Just earlier this year, the group released their latest record, Dreamland, which amassed 80 million streams and won over the hearts of pop-rock fans who were looking for a new sound to dance too. Now, the group is back in their familiar dreamy pop-scape vibe. COIN’s brand new single, “You Are The Traffic” explores a new avenue for the band that takes their honest lyrics to a new level but still possesses the same melodic charm that COIN fans will have no trouble recognizing. Playing with lyrical metaphors and vintage instrumentation, COIN takes the idea of the one person you can’t let go and personifies them into the constant, busy traffic that never ceases no matter where you are or what time it is. “The kids are running faster now / but they’re not moving / and how come / everyone’s in the way / except you?” sings lead singer Chase Lawrence, echoing the honest desperation of not being able to escape the one person who’s always on your mind.
The band was separately quarantined earlier in the year, but mid-spring Lawrence, drummer Ryan Winnen, and lead guitarist Joe Memmel drove cross country to meet each other halfway in West Virginia. They spent time writing songs together. Winnen spent time drawing too. Now, the song they created in isolation is sparking the next era for COIN, and Winnen’s creative designs are now the “You Are The Traffic” artwork.
The song’s release marks the announcement of COIN’s upcoming EP, Indigo-Violet which is set for release in October. The EP will also be the first of a trilogy of EPs from COIN titled The Rainbow Mix Tapes. While COIN were supposed to be on tour this year, taking their fresh alt-pop sound to Europe opening for pop-rock band 5 Seconds of Summer, there’s no denying the trio haven’t let their spirits or creativity die in 2020.
COIN has an abundance of new music projects up their sleeve. To find out more about the sonic direction they’re heading in, watch the grungey 90s-inspired music video of “You Are The Traffic” below, and keep up with the band for the latest updates on their next releases online. “You Are The Traffic” closes the door on Dreamland, but it doesn’t fall far from the group’s signature iconic sound. It remains just as exciting to hear their next songs, as it’s always a dream to listen to music from COIN.