Utter Trash--Coffinberry

Fruit of the Tomb

An interview with the guys in Coffinberry

By Bob Ignizio

Coffinberry l to r: Tony J., Stephe, Tony C., Pat, and Nick

So what are Coffinberries and can you get some at your local grocery store? Getting a straight answer proves difficult. At first I’m told they’re the berries that grow under coffins. However, when I press the band they admit this is complete and utter bullshit. The only definition for the word I’m sure of is: a five piece rock band from northeast Ohio consisting of Nick Cross- guitar, Tony Cross- vocals, Tony Janicek- guitar, Stephe D.K. - drums, and Patrick O’Connor- bass.

The band got started when, rather than indulging in the usual sibling pastime of beating each other up, brothers Nick and Tony Cross decided to make music together. Pat says, “Having two brothers in the band is great because they know each other so well and it makes them really tight musically. That’s an energy everyone can feed on. But the other side of that is if they get into a fight, things can get pretty bad. All in all it works out.” Nick adds, “Tony and I have been playing guitar since we were really young and we have our way of dealing with each other so it all works out.”

Their songs are catchy, dare I say pop, but at the same time edgy and aggressive. It can be hard to put a label on. Despite the seemingly morbid name, they’re not even remotely goth. “I can’t describe us at all. I can only say we are just 5 young guys playing rock music,” says Pat. Like many of the artists Coffinberry sites as influences (The Jam, the Smiths, the Clash, The Rolling Stones) the band straddles the line between raw rock ‘n’ roll, pop, and experimentation. Lyrically, Nick says, “Our songs are about things that happen to everyone.” Tony Cross adds, “I think of music as a safe place away from certain harsh realities.”

Coffinberry played its first gig at the Beachland on May 2, 2002 with the French Kicks, and since then have played a number of shows in both the Akron and Cleveland areas. Still, the band feels like they haven’t quite found their niche. “Surprisingly to most people, we don’t feel like we fit in with most bands we play with. As long as they don’t try to fight us I don’t care,” says Tony Cross. Tony Janicek adds, “I really haven’t come across any bands I enjoy playing with, but I do have fun playing with the bands I’m friends with.”

The band recently spent some time in the studio recording their first full length CD for Exitstencil records, a new local label. “Every song made the cut. We only had 10 so it was an easy gauntlet to run,” says Tony Cross. The recording was done at Invisible City with Mike McDonald & Brian Strayzak producing. “It was recorded live with the vocals overdubbed. It’s a good reflection of where the band’s been at. I think we were the last band to record at Invisible City,” says Stephe. Of their label, Pat says, “They were friends who started a record label and asked if they could put something out, and we said yes.” They plan on releasing the CD in the spring, but in the meantime those of you who still have a turntable can pick up their 7” single for “The Spins” b/w “Cry Wolf” and “A Minor”. The songs for the single were taken from a live performance the band did on radio station WRUW.

As far as goals, Stephe says, “I’d like to be living somewhere other than Cleveland, in a large space with a lot of natural light. Someplace with high ceilings I can play basketball in. Maybe a girlfriend, some money in my pocket.” Nick, on the other hand, says, “I’ll play for sandwiches.” Pat’s sets his sights almost as low. “I haven’t left my bed in 8 days straight. I need a new pair of pants,” he claims. All well and good, but I still don’t know where the name Coffinberry comes from. I ask one last time. “The name is an anagram of ‘biffencobby’,” says Tony Cross. Everybody’s a comedian these days.