There’s something about the West Coast even though it’s the endless cliché you imagine it to be. There’s the blue skies, the palm trees, the season-less days that stretch into an endless Valencia-coloured summer – it’s everything it seems, whether you’re picturing Boogie Nights or the Cohen family. But according to BEST COAST’s Bethany Cosentino, it’s more than just a stereotype. “I feel amazing when I’m in that kind of environment. That’s why we always make our records here. It’s the place where I feel the most creative and the most inspired because I can go outside at any given time of the day and just feel centered.”

Deploying a new found sense of self-assurance can be difficult, especially as a band’s worst critic is the Internet. Since 2010’s Crazy For You, Cosentino and guitarist Bobb Bruno have grappled with instant fame, sophomore curses, and meaningless criticisms, and it all spilled over, eventually making their recording sessions a draining experience. To counter it all, the duo took time off and as Cosentino notes in our one-on-one over the phone, it allowed her to understand “where Best Coast ends and Bethany begins”. It also allowed the group to hit “refresh” and write California Nights (out May 5th on Harvest Records), their third full-length and first that deploys a commanding sense of confidence from all angles. As a whole, it’s a project that plucks at the heartstrings of your teenage dream and wrestles with more personal subjects, whether it’s insomnia, jealousy, or “how we live in this world full of haters”. It’s also one that they couldn’t be more proud of because as Cosentino explained before their string of SXSW shows and random encounter with Julia Louis-Dreyfus, it’s far from a replica: “Even when people see us perform live it’s going to be a totally different experience now because we all feel a lot more comfortable”.

READ THE INTERVIEW HERE