Interview with The Cold Casuals: ‘We aim to have each of our songs instrumentally consist of a mixture of slow, fast, punchy, and delicate qualities’

Minneapolis, US-based indie band The Cold Casuals will release their next single ‘Mind Your Own Way’ about sticky situations on February 4th, before releasing their debut full-length album in June.

The band comprises Wyatt Lawson (vocals/guitar), Jane Halldorson (drums), Charlie Wichmann (bass) and Dylan Breyer (guitar). Wichmann and Breyer have been friends since grade school and met Lawson through Craigslist, an American online marketplace. Halldorson met Lawson through a mutual friend. Lawson came up with their name at a bar one night: ‘We had a couple of names before but I was at a bar one night listing names with a friend and it sort of stuck.’ Wichmann joins in: ‘It’s also a reference to Minnesota, where it can often be five below zero!’

At the end of February, they will release a three track EP comprising ‘Mind Your Own Way’ and two previous singles, ‘Every Little Thing’ and ‘Cherries’ before releasing an 8-9 track album in June. Lawson describes ‘Mind Your Own Way’ as ‘Oasis-ey, Beatlesey and upbeat’: ‘I wrote it about people minding their own business and sticky situations, not getting on with family and friends,’ he said. Breyer is grinning: ‘My solo in it during the bridge sounds big, we wanted to wait on this one.’ Lawson nods: ‘It’s definitely my favourite and ties the EP together,’ he said. ‘Mind Your Own Way has an upbeat, feel good chord structure but also talks about the difficult times in life and touches on the benefits of minding your own business and pushing forward. The chorus is really hooky and we love how the solo in the bridge really drives!’

Last month, they released their single ‘Cherries’, which opens with a dreamy jingly jangly guitar line before Lawson’s vocals come in. It’s got a slightly nostalgic 70’s vibe with a massive singalong chorus. ‘I wrote it in my cabin,’ Lawson said. ‘I wrote the four chord progression  – B, Ebm, G#m, F# – and riff and brought it to the band. I played it on a Gretsch hollow body. I play the beginning of the intro and Dylan takes over when the singing starts. I wrote ‘Cherries’ about last year and how crazy it’s been. Minneapolis has gone through some crazy times in the past year and a half with COVID as well as the racial injustice protests and riots surrounding the death of George Floyd.’ Halldorson nods: ‘During that time there was a lot of looting, which has gotten better, but there are still a lot of carjackings and increased crime in the downtown area. I wouldn’t go out at night on my own.’

As the track kicks off: ‘I hope to see you alive and well. I’ve heard the news, let’s ring the bell. Your love is falling from the dark. You say “let’s carry on”. In times like these we feel so strange. What’s right and wrong and who’s to blame.’

‘The verses are talking about all those relationships that we wish we could have back and do differently’

‘Every Little Thing’ is heavier, bluesier and rockier: ‘It’s got fuzz and a lot of overdrive, it’s a bit Black Keys,’ Lawson said. ‘I wrote it in Florida, I tried a bunch of different things. It’s about a hopeless romantic chasing a girl (laughs). The verses are talking about all those relationships that we wish we could have back and do differently. The message in the chorus reflects the ups and downs in relationships and the exposure to the different sides of a significant other’s personality, “Sweet as honey but strong like rye”.’ I ask if the woman in question knows it’s about her: ‘Oh, I don’t know if she knows it,’ he said, looking as if this hadn’t occurred to him before.

As the chorus goes: ‘Kiss my weary bones goodbye. It won’t take long before I fight. You rocked me like a lullaby. Sweet as honey but strong like rye. You catch me off my game with every little thing you do.’

The album is tied together by the themes of love and hate, according to Lawson: ‘Love and hate are the main themes but we also want the music to have a lot of variety,’ he said. ‘So even though, lyrically, the themes remain similar throughout, we aim to have each of our songs instrumentally consist of a mixture of slow, fast, punchy, and delicate qualities. We want it all to vary song by song and that is our goal with this upcoming album.’ 

As such, this feeds into topics explored in other singles, such as ‘Maverick Ways’, which erupts with a bluesey, fuzzed up riff. ‘We recorded that in Dylan’s studio. We had some time to record (in 2020) and we did our EP ‘In The Lobby’ in two weeks,’ Lawson said. ‘The song’s about not being able to be with the girl you want to be with.’ I say I am spotting a theme and he laughs: ‘It was written around the same time as ‘Every Little Thing’, so it’s about the same girl. I usually write the lyrics. I’ll bring a song to the band almost in its entirety, with the melody and guitar parts.’ I ask Halldorson if she writes her drum parts: ‘Oh yeah!, she said. ‘I loved John Densmore (the drummer in The Doors) and the drummer in Ween (Claude Coleman, of the Pennsylvania-based alt-rock band).’

Collectively, they’re fans of bands such as The Black Keys and Arctic Monkeys: ‘We have similar influences, so when Wyatt comes to us with a song, it’s easy to collaborate,’ Wichmann said.

‘They’re extremely engaging and off the wall’

Locally, Halldorson is a fan of what she describes as ‘noise punk’ band New Primals and the two siblings making nostalgic indie pop, Durry, as well as bluesy rockers EVV. ‘They were recently named one of the best new bands, it’s like soul rock,’ she said. Lawson really likes Night Moves, which he describes as a ‘funk, poppy band’. Breyer cites bluesey rock ‘n’ rollers Kiss The Tiger: ‘They have really loud riffs and their frontwoman (Meghan Kreidler) is amazing!’ Wichmann gives a shout out to ska-type band The Bad Man: ‘They’re extremely engaging and off the wall during their live shows,’ he said.

If she could collaborate with anyone, Halldorson plumps for The Doors’ frontman Jim Morrison: ‘He ‘s the best, I loooove him,’ she said. ‘I love The Doors and his poetry, it would be really fun. I have a picture of him in my car!’ Wichmann picks Dan Auerbach, the frontman of The Black Keys. ‘I think whatever he’s doing is working,’ he said. Breyer goes with Jack White: ‘There’s no limit to what he’d be able to do to my guitar tone. He can be so different across different songs and everything he writes is so catchy.’ Wyatt chooses Brian Burton, known professionally as Danger Mouse, an American musician, songwriter and record producer: ‘He works on a lot of different projects. He worked with The Black Keys on their Brothers album.’

Their dream-line up is fantastically energetic: ‘Oasis,’ they’re my fave,’ Lawson said. Breyer has other plans: ‘The White Stripes. Jack White’s guitars are all custom made, I’d like to see those.’ Halldorson picks LA rock supergroup Them Crooked Vultures: ‘They’re so great and I love Josh (Homme),’ she said. Wichmann goes with Kentucky rock group Cage the Elephant: ‘They’ve covered such a spread of different genres over the years,’ he said.

There have been some very entertaining moments as a band and Halldorson tells me a funny drinking one: ‘We dressed Wyatt up at my house in my leather pants (she sends me a photo of it afterwards) and shotgunned beers! (Shotgunning is when you hold your can of beer horizontally, poke a hole in the lower side opposite the actual can opening, put the hole to your mouth and turn the beer so it’s vertical.) He even wore my Lizzo necklace “100% that bitch”!’

(Photo from left to right: Jane, Wyatt, Charlie and Dylan.)

(Photo credit main photo:  Dillion Bauman. Photo credit for gig: Sara Fish.)