Brixton based punk rock quartet Coltana present their visceral, energetic new single Break Her, due for release on 19th May 2017 via Poeticat Presents.
Break Her was written about the way women are conveyed in society, how they are set to fail against each other, how much emphasis is placed on the way we look collectively and why that can block us from being kind to one another. Catherine goes onto say “Jealousy is an emotion we aren’t supposed to express, yet capitalism encourages it and so we are left isolated.”
In this interview spotlight, we chat with Coltana about their new project, influences, streaming music and more.
Full Q&A along with links and a stream of Break Her below.
Let’s dive a little deeper into You, the artist and your music. What attracted you to this genre(s) or style(s)?
Coltana has come from very different places musically. I can tell you about my experience. I was brought up on reggae and folk music and was fairly unexposed to heavy rock. When I was 14 a guy in my English class lent me a Nirvana’s ‘Nevermind’ and it blew my mind! At the time all my friends were garage MC’s so I couldn’t tell anyone that I loved Nirvana. I kept the experience close to my chest. When I met the guys in Coltana, who are all into rock and heavy metal, I was able to try writing heavier music & that’s even better than just listening to it. What’s even better is performing it! The energy in the room when we play is euphoric. It’s a totally different kind of communication.
What led you into this journey with music? And further, what drives you to push it out to the public?
I was performing as a spoken word poet & started playing with Blake Kenrick on the acoustic guitar. We expanded into a four piece experimental folk band called Poeticat with Victor Meadowcroft on cajon and Ziggi Jadovski on vocals. We got heavier, Blake started playing electric guitar and Victor moved to a drum kit. Eventually we needed to mark our genre change from folk to rock so we renamed ourselves Coltana and incorporated Gordon Duncan and Hugo Tevera on bass and drums respectively. Now we love playing our alternative punk rock and people seem to like it. What drives me to push it is that being on stage is probably the best thing I could ever think of doing and I want to keep doing it!
Who or what influences your creativity? Have your tastes in music changed over time?
My creativity is inspired by a mixture of my life experiences and my desire to challenge myself as a performer. Seeing other wicked performers inspires me to keep going. I saw Skunk Anansie recently & they were so sick! I just like stuff that has integrity. Genre isn’t important to me. If I think its honest then I generally like it.
Were you trying to accomplish anything specific on this new project? Creatively or otherwise?
Our next single ‘Break Her’ is more of a pop-punk song that anything we’ve written previously. It’s really fun to play live as we have to really master the dynamics. The choruses are more chilled and the verses are faster so it’s a good challenge to keep the energy up in both parts.
What was the last song you listened to?
Muddy Waters ‘Mannish Boy’
Which do you prefer? Vinyl? CDs? MP3s?
I mostly play CD at home but I prefer vinyl. It’s the best quality.
How about this one…. Do you prefer Spotify? Apple Music? Bandcamp? Or something else? Why?
I have to admit I don’t personally use any of the above to consume music. I really like buying cd’s but for the band we use Spotify. Playlists & recommendations are a good way for people to discover new music.
Other than the digital era overwhelming us with access to an abundance of music, what is the biggest challenge you face when trying to connect with or find new fans?
Venues closing. We want people to see us live but we are losing our music venues in London because property is so expensive.
Where is the best place to connect with you online? Discover more music?
Our website www.coltana.co.uk has everything you need.
Anything else you’d like to add before signing off?
Thank you for asking such interesting questions. It has been a pleasure!
