Little Darlings: The Coathangers Bring the Party

When forming a band, most would say that there are two elements that are essential for a successful one. First and foremost, fun must always be had. Otherwise, it just wouldn’t be worth it. And second, each of the band members must be good friends. There must be a closeness and understanding between each person involved in order to make cohesive and enjoyable music, a rare thing to find with the barrage of faceless independent bands flooding the scene in recent years. However, the Coathangers might have the perfect mix for such a thing. Proof of this has been displayed several times as audience members have literally approached them after their live shows to tell them, “I thought you guys were gonna suck, but you were awesome!” It may not be the most well thought out sentiment of adoration, but it’s still the truth.

The quartet came together in the summer of 2006 when its members Julia Kugel, Stephanie Luke, Candice Jones, and Meredith Franco decided they just wanted to have a good time. Flash forward to a year later and the good times are still rollin’. While enjoying themselves, the ladies still strive to break the stereotypes of an “all girl” band. And they’ve achieved this by writing outstanding and infectious garage pop songs, gaining the support and respect of their local Atlanta peers from the likes of the Black Lips, the Selmanaires, The Hiss, Kill Gordon, and Variac. But whether or not they get the adulation they so rightfully deserve, the gals know that it always comes back to that basic notion of fun, as expressed by drummer Stephanie Luke: “We’re trying to have a good time and we want everyone to have a good time with us”.


It’s difficult to describe their sound without pigeonholing them, as they are uniquely in class of their own. Yet they carry something welcomingly familiar. They are tougher than Cub, less abrasive than Bratmobile, not as serious as the Slits, more mature than Gravy Train!!!, and not as fluffy as the B-52’s, but they contain tiny pieces of each of those bands at the same time. Whatever they draw from, the formula is working. In the past year their songs have gotten heavy airplay on Georgia State University’s WRAS 88.5 (arguably the most powerful college radio station in the country), and also have been featured on Atlanta’s commercial alternative radio station 99X’s specialty local music programs. And they’ve been packing in crowds at local venues with their always-festive live shows, “bringing the party” to every show, blowing up stages full of balloons, throwing confetti at the audience, and making references to “yer mom." They even caught the attention MTV reporter John Norris who gave them a nod on mtv.com after making their acquaintance at the South by Southwest music conference in Austin, TX. Not bad for a band that got together just for kicks.


The Coathangers’ first full-length LP is in stores courtesy of Rob’s House Records, straight outta ATL.

myspace.com/f**kthecoathangers

The Coathangers wear the aa2141 beater tank.


-Mike Klimis