Bobb Bruno from Best Coast: “California Nights Isn’t Like Anything We’ve Done Before.”

Coming off the release of California Nights, their third studio album, California duo Best Coast will be going on a month-long tour, dubbed “Summer Is Forever II,” with Wavves and Cherry Glazer. Bethany Cosentino and Bobb Bruno will bring the tour to the Electric Factory on February 17.

Our Emily Scott spoke with Bruno about the band and their latest record.

In Bethany’s mission statement, she talks a lot about different things but the overarching theme seems to be becoming more aware of where you’re from, all the good and bad, and becoming more aware of yourself. Is her message something that also resonated with you or was there something else? 

My thing in the band is just trying to help Bethany realize her vision for the album and adding my vibe and conveying the way we think it should go. Bethany was pretty young when we first started. When we started out, we didn’t plan to be a successful band. So she has grown a lot, from traveling a lot and making big decisions – like what career path the band will take us. With each record, I feel like we have grown a little more.

This is your first record with Harvest Records and your second time working with Wally Gagel. This record definitely has a larger sound. Going into this record, was the idea for this kind of punchier sound?

In the past, when we were going to do a record, we had a specific sphere of influences. The first one was The Beatles and The Ramones. The second was the Eagles and Fleetwood Mac. With this one, we decided that each song is going to have whatever vibe we wanted to have. A lot of that was having more guitars, layered sounds. The Only Place is a more laid back record. For this one, we wanted to have more rock songs.

Bethany has been quoted saying that you guys took more risks on this album? What would you say some of these are?

When we started playing live, we were a three piece, Now, there are five of us on stage. At least for me, I would always think about how could we play something live with so few people and I didn’t think about it this time. If we wanted something in the song, we didn’t worry about it. We figured out how we would dictate it live after the fact. We were not afraid to have more songs that are different.

What were some of your inspirations for writing parts for this record?

For my guitar stuff, basically I would drive to the studio every day and listen to Coheed & Cambria or some weird, math rock stuff. Nothing like on the record. I really like the first couple of Jane’s Addiction records. So, for my solos, those were influences for me. In anything Best Coast, my main guitar influences will always be Lindsey Buckingham from Fleetwood Mac, Billy Zoom and Tony Gilkyson from the band X.

California Nights was definitely the biggest track on the album. What was the inspiration for the solo you have on it?

That was definitely one of the Jane’s Addiction influences. That one, more than any other on the record, came together the easiest. When Bethany demoed the song, it was just her guitar and her voice. Right away, I sat down on the drum kit I have at home. I think the first take I did, I got all of the drum parts in, did the bassline, some keyboard overdub and then the main guitar stuff. So, before we even went into the studio, I had it figured out. The original solo was definitely more Dave Navarro.

You guys are touring with Wavves. Have you all been good friends over the years, both sharing your love for California? Was the plan for your winter tour to be with them?

We did another co-headlining tour with Wavves a few years ago called Summer Is Forever, so this is a continuation of that. We wanted to do a co-headlining tour for this upcoming one and Wavves just seemed like the best fit. There is a crossover in our fan bases and it is just made a good bill. Also, having Cherry Glazer on the tour is really fun.