A Chat with Coffee House Anarchists (26.11.21)
With six albums, almost half a million streams on Spotify and European tours, Coffee House Anarchists are definitely catching people’s eyes. We speak to Alex from the France-based trio about their latest EP Separated By The Sea (Pt 1), future plans and desert islands.
OSR: We spoke to Coffee House Anarchists earlier this year about your last album Simon Says Party; what has the band been up to since then?
Alex: Simon Says Party came out in April of this year, so between promoting it, writing and recording the new material. We’ve been occupying ourselves by supporting the local public houses and taverns in the community.
OSR: What can you tell us about your new album Separated By The Sea (Pt 1)?
Alex: As the name suggests, it’s a two-part album. We pride ourselves on never recording the same song/album twice. It’s a totally new direction for the band that started as a few drops in the ocean and developed into a tsunami, unlike anything we have previously done before.
OSR: Do you feel this album differs from Simon Says Party in sound and style?
Alex: Simon Says Party is exactly how it sounds – it’s a party album. Separated By The Sea is a coming-of-age album. It’s deeper, darker, more emotional, more thought-provoking, but at the same time has all the signature CHA moves.
OSR: Did you face any challenges when recording Separated By The Sea (Pt 1)?
Alex: There are always challenges. Some of which you can be prepared for, others, not so much. There was a dog outside the studio who was often barking. If you listen really closely to specific tracks you can actually hear it. We are currently in negotiations with his agent for a potential collaboration. Watch this space.
OSR: what do you hope people take from this album?
Alex: We hope they take the time to listen to it. There is an uncharted sea of bands and artists out there, some good and some not so much. Let the listener decide.
OSR: Which is your favourite track and why?
Alex: It’s hard to isolate one track and select it for special attention. We still strongly believe in the idea of an album that actually makes sense when played in the intended order. Adele has successfully asked Spotify to remove the “shuffle” options on albums recently and there is a reason for that.
OSR: If you were stuck on a desert island and can take three things, what would they be? No boats or mobile phones!
Alex: Probably a Swiss Army knife, My EU digital Covid Certificate and The Holy Bible because who doesn’t like The Manics?
OSR: What can we expect from Coffee House Anarchists in the future?
Alex: I guess the unexpected. We will continue to write, create and produce the music that we love to listen to ourselves. We are our own biggest critics and also our biggest fans. We will continue to go on and on…
Thanks to Alex from Coffee House Anarchists for speaking with us. For more from Coffee House Anarchists check out their official website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Spotify.
