C.O.F.F.I.N (Children Of Finland Fighting In Norway) is perhaps Australia's busiest punk band.
The boys have been full throttle all year, with a new album out and successful tours of the US and the UK rearview window.
C.O.F.F.I.N formed in the Northern Beaches of Sydney as kids, and fast forward 18 years later, they are still best mates, living the dream together. The band’s dedication to each other and the music is obvious.
C.O.F.F.I.N Upcoming Shows
- Nov 11 – Luliepalooza, Lulie St. Tavern, Melbourne
- Nov 18 – River Rocks Festival, Barwon Club, Geelong
- Dec 2 – LABEL, Brookvale
- Dec 8 to 10 – Meredith Music Festival, Meredith
Keep up with the latest music news, features, festivals, interviews and reviews here.
“C.O.F.F.I.N has this belief for how we move through the world, which is two steps backward and three steps forward,” says lead singer and drummer Ben Portnoy. “We always seem to get the rough end of the stick in situations, but then our perseverance finds us coming good in the long run.”
Their early sound was, like most local high school rock bands, heavily influenced by Australian music, such as AC/DC and The Divinyls. As Portnoy puts it, a “mish-mash of all these genres and then putting together in a fully stitched quilt”.
“The rare thing with C.O.F.F.I.N is, we have been together since we were kids. We didn’t break up and start new bands, and figure out what was cool, what we’re into.”
It wasn’t until their On the Gronk EP that came out in 2016 that C.O.F.F.I.N really found their groove, though Portnoy says their sound is always changing. “It was just a matter of where you’ve figured out what you like, what your strengths are and what you feel good playing.”
Their latest album, Australia Stops, came out on September 15 – right before the Voice to Parliament referendum. “That result was definitely a very telling example of what the album name is kinda trying to convey,” says Portnoy. “We had this huge opportunity. We halted, we stopped and that really sucks.”
In past interviews, Portnoy has claimed that they had never envisioned being a political band, but they didn’t necessarily not want to be one either. Simply, they’re a band commenting on issues and events they care about. They’re writing about their realities.
“If you’re pissed off about something, whether it’s someone at work giving you a hard time, or it’s about the political stubbornness of a country you live in, for us those things that jump out at us or make us feel something – most of the time frustration – that is what C.O.F.F.I.N’s written about.”
Australia Stops is a fun, loud and raw album sure to be an Aussie classic. It’s a hell of a good time, but just beneath the surface, the powerful lyrics, belted in Portnoy’s signature gruff form, leave a long-lasting impression.
The guitar screeches into existence with every lick and riff. The bass chugs along, holding the chaotic atmosphere together, while the drums slash with reckless abandon.
Balance is something that C.O.F.F.I.N does effortlessly. The band encapsulates the best parts of Australian music, blending so many genres and elements to create a punk rock sound that is completely their own. Like on the track Beasts: the band goes bluesy and tones down the fast-paced riffs, adding harmonica to sweeten it up.
However, Portnoy claims that the band don’t think about balance when they develop their songs. “I think what happens is that we all have a personality behind the music, behind our instrument, that is inevitably gonna be put into whatever we’re playing.”
Another thing that this album has pulled off is capturing the live sound of C.O.F.F.I.N. This has always been difficult for the band, but due to a better budget, access to studios and knowledge about how to achieve the sound they want, they’ve finally managed to do it.
Portnoy says that C.O.F.F.I.N’s biggest strength is their live performances – that’s where the band really ‘cut their teeth’. “That’s where people most of the time get into us because they see a live show and they’re impressed by that. We wanted to capture what that is, and I think we managed to do that in this one.”
C.O.F.F.I.N is all about saying what you mean and meaning what you say. This comes across blatantly in their unapologetic music and demeanour. One thing they care about deeply is the community that they’ve built through music.
“If anyone’s looking for new music too, a good way of doing it is looking at what other bands are playing on the bill. If you wanna find new music then listen to all my friends’ bands. Go through our Instagram and flyers.”
For more on C.O.F.F.I.N and to grab tickets to the upcoming gigs, head here.
