The Coathangers:
Atlanta's Fair Ladies

By Michelle Gilzenrat

Photo by Skylar Reeves

Whirlyball is like the birthday party you always wish you had. Except for the fact that you’re all grown up now, so the cupcakes are replaced with cups of beer, the go-karts are replaced with whirlybugs and the robotic Muppet band is replaced with The Coathangers. These four “ladies of leisure” come fully prepared to party, having already sprinkled the stage with balloons while smiling coyly from underneath matching sequined masks.

As The Coathangers kick off the highly anticipated, Pitchfork-endorsed Chunklet Magazine showcase, the front row comes alive. Crowd favorites like “Nestle in My Boobies” send enthusiastic, pumping fists into the air. It’s not long before the balloons launch off the stage, bouncing haphazardly off unsuspecting heads.

This is the colorful, silly chaos of The Coathangers. Switching up instruments and taking turns on the mic, The Coathangers deliver quick punk gems with playful abrasiveness. Every “don’t touch my shit” they scream is followed by a muffled giggle; every “shut the fuck up” they sing is softened by a sheepish smile.

“That’s the most important part of our band,” explains keyboardist Candice Jones (“Bebe Coathanger”). “Everything is a big giant joke all the time to everybody. We just don’t take ourselves too seriously. That’s the secret.” It’s a refreshing point of a view. But don’t mistake their light-heartedness for lack of dedication. Yes, these girls are admittedly novice musicians, but whatever they lack in technical prowess they make up for tenfold in unbridled enthusiasm.

The band started off totally on a whim. As the now well-known story goes, the girls came up with the idea for the band while stuck in a van for eight hours en route to an anti-Bush rally in D.C. Freshly inspired, they rented out a practice space and just started to jam. None of the girls had ever played in a band before, and their experience with their respective instruments was limited. Yet somehow when they started writing together, everything just seemed to gel.

“It’s just the fact that we all come from all these different musical backgrounds,” Jones suggests, “and we’re not all necessarily classically trained ... at all. So we have a fresh outlook and each of us brings something different. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts, if that makes any sense.”

Part of that chemistry as a band has a lot to do with the girls’ chemistry as best friends. There is an almost psychic bond between them. Drummer Stephanie Luke (“Rusty Coathanger”) can say just two words and the rest of the band knows exactly what story she is about to tell. They feed off each other’s energy as much off stage as on, and each member speaks fervently about her dependency on the others.
“When the four of us are together it’s like...magic,” keyboardist Meredith Franco (“Minnie Coathanger”) says, finishing guitarist Julia Kugel’s (“Crook Kid Coathanger”) sentence.

After just a year or so together, the rewards of their collaboration have been immeasurable. The Coathangers speak with child-like wonder at their own accomplishments. “It’s really empowering once you find something that is a new creative outlet that you never knew you had accessible,” Jones enthuses. “But now, if you’re happy, you want to play music; if you’re sad, you want to play music; and if you’re mad, you want to play music. We’re just learning our instruments as we go, and hopefully we’ll get better and better.”

All of The Coathangers share this insatiable hunger to learn and grow as much as they can.

“We’ll play something we think sounds great and someone else will say ‘Oh that’s just...’ and name off some theory,” says Kugel. “But who cares? For us it’s like we’re discovering something new!”

The band’s recent experience recording at Nickel & Dime Studios has proven especially enriching. Under the wing of producer and engineer Kris Sampson, the girls have learned a tremendous amount about the intricacies of defining their own sound. Through his engaging Socratic approach, Sampson has challenged The Coathangers to consider their music on a new level.

“Kris really made us better musicians, “ says Jones. “He made us really stop and think about what we want to do, and he gave us great advice about being true to our own sound.”

The resulting record is The Coathangers’ debut full-length, which is due out this September on Rob’s House Records. The Coathangers also marks the first ever full-length CD pressed by Rob’s House Records, a label that specializes in 7-inch vinyl. Also noteworthy to Atlanta music fans, the artwork will be designed by labelmate Bradford Cox of Deerhunter fame.

In addition to putting out the record, Rob’s House will be lining up a fall tour for The Coathangers, with promotional backing from Fanatic Promotion. The Coathangers are thrilled by the unequivocal support they have received from Rob’s House.
“If this album doesn’t do well we will pay them out of pocket what they spent on us because they have helped us so much,” says Luke, only half joking.

Considering the response to their debut 7-inch debut (out on Die Slauterhaus), success seems inevitable. That first release, supported by a slew of live shows all over the city, won The Coathangers overwhelming buzz and even some limited airplay.
But it’s not the hype that makes The Coathangers so charming. Rather, it’s the disarming modesty and sincerity with which they handle the accolades.

“When our song was played on 99X, I cried!” confesses Kugel. “I mean, I grew up listening to that station.”

The Coathangers also feel greatly indebted and humbled by the continuous support of the Atlanta music scene. Like any new band, The Coathangers were nervous about how they would be received by fellow musicians. To their delight, if not utter surprise, they were welcomed with open arms.

“That’s what’s so great about Atlanta,” Franco marvels. “All the bands support each other. They come out to our shows and we come out to their shows. They have so much faith in us and we are so grateful.”

Franco also names her big brother’s band as particularly influential. The Hiss boys practiced across the hall from The Coathangers, and if not for their encouragement, the girls may have never gotten on stage at all.

The Coathangers were first approached to play a show in August 2006. They had been rehearsing three times a week for nearly six months, but they were still absolutely petrified at the thought of performing in front of others.

“We were scared when people would just come in our practice space,” remembers Franco. “So we thought there was no way we could play a show.”

But thanks to the insistence of The Hiss, among other bands in town, the girls were persuaded to perform. It was a major obstacle for the girls to overcome, but the experience provided a much-needed boost in confidence.

“I am sure we were all stiff as a board on stage,” Kugel laughs. “But we moved on and played a house show the next week. We’ve been playing almost every week since then.”

The band has been warned about the risk of over-saturating a market, but frankly they couldn’t care less.

“People ask why we play all the time,” explains Luke, “and I say, ‘Because there’s 5 bazillion bands in Atlanta, and why not? It’s fucking fun!’”

Despite the frequency of their shows, the girls take great lengths to make sure each performance is unique and memorable. These crafty artists spend hours preparing goody bags and other treats for their audience.

“We play so much, so you have to do something different,” Franco insists. “We just think: what would we want at a show? And we would want goody bags and treats and noisemakers.”

These handmade gifts also serve a greater purpose as well. The Coathangers are fully aware of how new audience members, especially females, might feel about them the first time they get on stage. With their rock ‘n’ roll flair and confrontational lyrics, frankly, these ladies can be a bit intimidating.

“I know what people must think when they see four girls get on stage,” says Luke. “They are probably like, ‘Oh great, what are these bitches going to do?’”
So these little treats are something of a peace offering.

“We are saying, ‘Hey, we’re nice! We’re fun!’” Kugel explains. “We want everyone to feel like they are involved and engaged at our show. That’s why we bring things like noisemakers. It’s like we’re having a party... and everyone’s invited,” Luke chimes in.
“Right,” Kugel adds, “no matter what you’re wearing.”

That open-mindedness is another cornerstone of The Coathangers’ life philosophy. They want nothing more than to help women transcend the petty cattiness that divides them, and hopefully instill in them the confidence to get on stage as well.
“We have to build each other up,” Jones insists,” because if we are constantly tearing each other down we aren’t going to get anywhere.”

Of course, not everyone is going to rally with The Coathangers’ cause, and they are ready to accept the inevitable “haters.”

“For me, I love the people who hate on us,” declares Luke. “Because even if you hate us, at least you are still listening to our music!”

Of course, The Coathangers weren’t born with such tough skin. There was one particularly traumatic show that helped the girls prepare for any future harassment.

The drama went down in an uncomfortably packed house party during South by Southwest. The girls were already nervous because one of their favorite bands, The Black Lips, had graciously offered them the spot and they were eager to impress. But the crowd was tough, hot and hostile. Kugel was handed a detuned guitar to play, and the rest of the band barely had enough room to breathe. The set felt like a disaster from start to finish, and offensive heckling compounded their distress. “Better luck next year!” they heard one guy shout, followed by a snooty cheer for “American Apparel!”
“American Apparel is the worst insult I have ever gotten,” Franco frets earnestly.“That show really hardened us, “ Kugel agrees.

The girls realized that it could never get any worse than that night. So now, they are able to convert any nervous energy into excitement instead of fear.

As if to prove the point, Luke announces that she found a rather unflattering review of The Coathangers recent Smith’s Olde Bar performance. The other girls lean in to hear the gritty details.

“Yeah, she said something like how we violated her ears,” Luke reveals. There is a collective gasp around the table immediately followed by a triumphant cheer.

“Yay!” they sing in unison. “That’s the best compliment we’ve gotten!”

Obviously the band doesn’t take to criticism too harshly any more.
So, with their worst fears quelled, The Coathangers set their sights on world domination. At one time it was a dream come true just to play The EARL. It was a dream come true just to record an album. And now, with their hearts filled with endless enthusiasm, their potential seems unlimited. Fans and friends can only hope that this nasty business won’t crush their spirits like so many jaded musicians before them. Jones isn’t worried.

“I don’t think we can [lose that enthusiasm] because ... well, we have all dated band guys,” she explains. “We have nurtured and supported all these fucking guys in bands, saying, ‘Go, live your dream!’ when really, we needed to live our own. And now we are doing it, and everything is so new and amazing. When you experience what it’s like to actually make a song exactly the way you want, it’s the biggest rush you’ll ever get your entire life. That will never change.”

www.myspace.com/fuckthecoathangers