Coults Is An Instrumental Voice In The UK Trap-Rap Genre [Interview]

Welcome to an exclusive interview with one of the most potent new names emerging in the UK underground music scene, Coults. Known for his trap psychedelia-infused sound, this North West London rapper and artist is captivating audiences with his unique blend of UK rap. Coults' music is characterised by chest-rattling 808s, sharpened percussive textures, and a distinct, melodic vocal range. His single, "CHARLIE," showcases his hedonistic approach and commanding bars, highlighting his clever lyricism and rigorous cadence. With a retro-futuristic sound that exudes authority and menace, Coults is solidifying his position as a flag bearer for trap-rap in the UK landscape.

Coults' musical journey started in his early childhood, where he discovered a deep passion for music. Growing up as an instrumentalist, he was exposed to a wide array of sounds from the tender age of 4, he began exploring various instruments, honing his skills and nurturing a natural musical talent. This foundation laid the groundwork for his future artistic endeavours, allowing him to develop a unique perspective and approach to creating music.

Coults has been rapidly gaining momentum as one of the most promising talents in the underground music scene. His debut record, "Rover Trucks" featuring dialE, made a strong impact in 2021, setting the stage for his vertiginous rise. The release of his EP, "Rude Awakening," showcased his unique flows and paved the way for his hit single, "F&F," which has amassed over 7 million streams. Coults' captivating sound and addictive singles have been making waves, including collaborations with US superstar Rollin Thrax on "BROTHERS IN ARMS." His debut album, "COULTURE," featuring innovative artists like YT, CMillano, and breakthrough artist Len, dropped last month, further solidifying his position as an artist to watch.

Coults' electric and innovative brand of UK rap has garnered healthy streaming numbers, catapulting him into the mainstream spotlight. His unique blend of trap psychedelia, combined with his skillful lyricism and captivating delivery, sets him apart from his peers. With his retro-futuristic sound, Coults is carving his own path and leaving an indelible mark on the music industry.

NW: Coults for New Wave Magazine, appreciate your being here, how are you doing?

I'm chillin'. I'm always chillin', and happy

NW: Seems like you have a very light laid back, relaxed vibe. Where does that come from?

I feel like, as a kid I was always stressed about stuff. As I grow older, I have a more relaxed approach to everything. No point dwelling on things, Freestyle through life type thing.

NW: How old are you currently?

I'm 22

NW: Do you feel like you've had a lot of responsibility since you were young, in terms of what you want for yourself, what you wanted to do and who you wanted to be?

Yes, I wanted to do music and stuff. I feel like with music you kind of have to be a little crazy and delusional to actually believe that you're actually going to get there.

NW: Was music your only path or were there any other things that you felt you wanted to do, or did you know what you wanted from the jump?

I've been playing instruments since I was four. So it's always been a big part of my life, it only makes sense.

NW: What instruments did you play when you were younger?

I picked up the cello when I was four, and then the piano when I was seven. I played until I was 16. Because of A levels I didn't really have time to play. I kind of recently picked it up again. Piano, not the cello.

NW: Do you feel like that side of your musical upbringing plays apart the kind of music that you make right now?

Yeah, definitely plays a part because I feel like I often say, even with adlibs and stuff, I want to use my voice as an instrument, like, in the same way that you have an orchestra, every single part plays a major role in the ensemble. That's how I layer my vocals. With music, every single part is its own sort of instrument and plays a big role in the song.

NW: Your musical background in terms of what you used to listen to coming up, what would you say are your go-to genres?

As a kid I listened to classical music. I always liked Young Thug, a lot of Travis. So I guess an amalgamation of the new hip-hop and classical music that I listen to.

NW: Yeah, for sure. And so with artists, in the classical genre and the Hip Hop genre, what would you say was the energy that you tapped into that gravitated them to you?

I'd say Trap, but also Young Thug, like, at first glimpse it doesn't even sound like he's saying anything. If you really listen, he's saying some crazy shit. He uses his voice as an instrument. A lot of people think you can just slap on auto tune and you're good but it's the way that you use autotune. Roars and screams on the mic, I don't know, it's that type of shit that I listen to and I was like, okay, this is crazy, no one's doing this type shit.

NW: A song from your catalogue that had your name ringing bells is F&F, Tell us about that experience.

I put it on TikTok. The next day I went on a plane, got off the plane, got Wi-Fi and I was like 'Oh Shit' [Laughs]

NW:That song has an original version which is a lot slower and then you have the sped-up version, what was the decision behind that? Was that trying to capitalise a social trend at the time?

Definitely, I feel like any artist that uploads a sped-up version, they're not doing it because they prefer that version to the original. Nowadays, especially with Tik Tok, people have short attention spans. So, that's the kind of shit that a lot of people like. Personally, I prefer the slower version. Sometimes I get frustrated when I've been to clubs or events and they play the sped up version. Like, you know the normal version exists? It's jarring but, It's got like double the streams as the normal version so that's what people like.

NW:Did that guide the way you approached your latest project Coulture? in terms of showing people your sound, your voice and your energy on a full length project?

Definitely, especially because the producer that's on F&F. That was like our second song we ever made together. And since then, we just locked in, obviously he produced Visa which is my single after, which went crazy. He also produced Brothers in Arms, which is on the tape. So, yeah, he definitely created a whole new sort of sound which I jumped on. We both grew together, so he played a big role I'd say.

NW:Even on that project. Song that's doing a lot of great things is Charlie.

Yeah. Underrated. Crazy song.

NW: Talk to us about the video

Shout out Zack Arlo, he's crazy. That video was cool, I'm half-japanese and I wanted to show people that. So I wanted to rep that flag a little bit. Even with the fashion and everything in that video. I remember, I re-recorded that song five times. It was one of those ones where you want to get it perfect. Obviously, you want everything to be perfect but with that song particularly I need to make sure of it. I'm happy with how it came out, I feel like that is my favourite. For sure.

NW:What would you say are some of the ideas or feelings that people will get from listening to Coults as a whole, from the album.

I feel like it's very versatile. You’ve got like a garage beat, you’ve got hard Trap, slow stuff. It's showing people that I am diving into all types of pockets of sound, but also maintaining my signature Coults sound. I think it's definitely refreshing.Especially in the UK scene for sure.

I want to use my voice as an instrument, like, in the same way that you have an orchestra, every single part plays a major role in the ensemble.

NW: Do you see yourself as part of the UK scene or of the new era where all of us are connected from all over the world and those lines are blurred?

I think inevitably because I'm from the UK, I would first and foremost say I'm a UK artist. But, in all honesty, I‘ve got so many more listeners in places like the U.S. even like a couple weeks ago, I went to Australia. Numbers were strong with so much love. You never really think about somewhere that far. Even though I'm from the UK, I think I would say right now my music translates a lot better in the U.S. We're working on doing a U.S. tour soon, before even doing the UK one. So I guess that kind of answers it.

NW:Yeah, it shows that you are accessible and so many different lanes and people want the music. What would you say is the direction that you want to go in musically moving forward?

I'm working on a tape right now. I think it's just a lot more focused. I think Coulture was great because it showed a lot of different genres, but I think this one is much more focused. It's a crazy line up a producer's and some features as well. I'm still having fun with it. I don't really take this shit too seriously. I just make whatever I want

NW:You've worked with some of the producers that work with Yeat?

Oh yeah, a lot of them because everyone's just connected.

NW:How did you connect with them?

Ever since I started music, you just kind of be on discord groups or just kind of hit them up on Instagram. You might start off buying a beat, but then once you build that relationship then they start sending you beats. A lot of the time producers will hit me, you never really know who's listening to your music.

NW: A lot of times there's people behind the scenes that are also part of that journey, is there anyone that you see as a big part of your journey?

Yeah, my producers first and foremost. You see, like I said, Mimo, a lot of our people, Snypes, Luca Malaspina. My Manager G Lo. It's quite a lot of people, but at the same time, I'm very Independent. I do a lot of stuff on my own. Even in studio sessions, I don't like people being there, it just needs to be me and my engineer. I owe a lot to him too because he helped create my sound.

Especially at the start, I was doing everything on my own. Daily sending 200 emails to DJ's and radio hosts. Getting like, one reply a week. I've definitely been doing this on my own.

NW: Speak to that process as well, because obviously will see like things are moving right now and they don't really understanding that you probably sent us an email or message years ago

I definitely did [Laughs] Easily.

NW: Talk about that process of not wavering and the marketing aspect outside of being an artist.

I think when you're just starting off. Don't even bother paying for marketing. I know a lot of people pay for playlist pitching all that stuff but, I would honestly just say drop music as much as you can. I would even go one a day to just get a catalogue out there. Eventually someone's going to pick it up and at least one song will do well. Don't be afraid to market stuff all the time because at the start it's a lot, especially in this genre. A lot of people want to do the whole mysterious thing from the very beginning, but you're not going to get anywhere if you do that. Put yourself out there shamelessly, to the point where people might be like ' Ugh not this guy again.'

NW: Your part of a UK scene that is bubbling and coming up at the moment. What are some of your favourite moments collaborating with other artists in that music scene?

That song 'Royal Rumble', which features like six people from the scene. That was a cool moment. I think it's just bringing everyone together. Reminiscent of the old cypher days.

NW: Like what Rocky did with 1Train.

Yeah, that's kinda what I was going for.

Recently I have been collaborating with a lot of US underground artists because that sound is crazy. The music coming out of Atlanta and stuff, I feel like I kind of want to bridge that gap because a lot of times in the UK scene you see people collaborate with other UK artists, which is cool. But I feel like it's a bubble. You're not going to expand too much, we just have totally different sounds as well. That and that's kind of what I grew up on listening to. That's what I grew up listening to. I just really liked that scene over there.

NW: Coulture, that's the name of the last project. What does culture mean to you?

In music, there's two different roads that you can go down, which is industry and culture. Would you rather have the industry behind you or would you rather have the streets, the culture. So that's kind of the idea behind it. Especially with that name as well, it's crazy because I think the first day I sat down and said I wanted to start music, I wrote it down in my notes that one day I'm gonna drop something called 'Coulture' so having done that. It's a cool feeling. It's just a sick named, I'll be real [Laughs]

NW: Last message for your fans like you that listens to the view that resonates with you. What would you say to them right now?

I would just say just don't listen to anyone, at all. Even people that actually do give you good advice. Obviously take it, but you know, what's best. That's what I did, so yeah, do not stop. Ever.

Follow Coults: instagram