Meet James and Stephen, aka Fourth and Coast. They are your new favorite boy(ish) band from the Golden State.  We fell in love with their breezy style and catchy, lighthearted jams and we think you will too!  Their new single, Young Hearts, recently dropped so we thought now was a good time to find out all things Fourth and Coast.  Enjoy!

Young Adult Magazine: Tell us the story of how Fourth and Coast was born.

James and Stephen: James and I (Stephen) had been really good friends for a while and after high school we started taking music seriously; mainly because both of us realized that we didn’t want to do anything else with our lives. We had played in numerous bands throughout the years but Fourth & Coast is the first band that has really felt like our baby. 

YA: You have an interesting band name. Who chose it?

JS: Honestly, one of our friend’s mom threw it out there when we were trying to figure out what to call ourselves. I’m pretty sure it is a street intersection in San Diego. It stuck after a while, and we began to realize how unique it was because even though Fourth & Coast didn’t have a deep meaning previously, we realized that we have the power to give it meaning. 

YA: Many of your lyrics are written in a romantic vein… who amongst you guys is a hopeless romantic? Own up!

JS: Haha I’ll be the first one to admit it! Writing is my way of expressing how I feel or want to feel at the time. I have a lot to get off my chest when it comes to relationships and sometimes it’s just fun writing quirky love stories in song. 

YA: The music video for Yours To Create is a cool way of interacting with your fans… how did you think up the concept?

JS: We think it’s important to take the time to connect with our fans and we began to hear similar stories of having a hard time fitting in or getting bullied. The overall concept of the song is something everyone can relate to at some point in their lives so we thought it would be really cool if we used actual quotes we heard from our fans in our music video, eventually showing that there is a light at the end of the tunnel in the process. We had asked fans to submit their stories to our email for YTC if they felt comfortable enough to do so, and the end product was something we couldn’t be more proud of. 

YA: Coming from San Diego, you must be used to the sun, sand and sea life style. What are your guys’ favorite pastimes when you’re not jamming out?

JS: Eating, sleeping, going to the beach, and playing video games. Pretty much sums up our home life! We’re also really into football. James and I can talk for hours about it and would never get bored. 

YA: You’re currently on tour in the mid west and on the east coast. What do you most miss about being at home whilst you’re away? 

JS: Family and friends. It gets a lot harder when we’re not on a regular schedule and don’t have a spring break and summer vacation like most of our friends in college do. I do think it makes us cherish the time we have at home more though. Also, I got a new puppy named Charley recently and I probably miss her the most. I get daily picture updates of her and my heart melts everyday. 

YA: As a band, you have really great style. Which brands do you like to shop, or do you have somebody to do it for you?!

JS: Haha well thank you! H&M and Cotton On are our go-to stores because they are so cheap, and we also have a great stylist (Chuck Churnakoses) who helps out at most of our photo shoots and music videos. 

YA: Are you working on an album? If so, when can we expect to hear the fruits of your labor?

JS: We are in the process of writing and recording a bunch of new songs that we are extremely excited about. We don’t have a release date set yet, but we are aiming for early fall!

YA: Who are your greatest musical influences and inspirations?

JS: We listen to pretty much everything on the road – from Ed Sheeran to Drake to Echosmith – and we try to take inspiration from everything we listen to. Right now, I’m in love with the beats of Drake songs and Sam Smith’s voice. Combine that with the guitar tones of Echosmith and that’s pretty much my ideal style at the moment.

YA: Tell us a secret (This question is to any of you who are brave enough to answer!)

JS: James wears girl pants. 

YA: Which five songs are playing on your iPod right now?

JS: “Let’s Love” by Echosmith
“Thinking Out Loud” by Ed Sheeran
“Stay With Me” by Sam Smith
“Best Shot” by Birdy and Jaymes Young
“Let’s Get Lost” by G-Eazy