Coach Party are not a band who let things settle. Their 2023 debut 'Killjoy' introduced the Isle of Wight quartet as a sharp, snarky force in UK indie, fizzing with chaotic hooks and emotional candour. Now, they’re back with album two, 'Caramel', due this autumn via Chess Club Records, and it’s already sounding like a heavier, heart-on-sleeve step forward.
“We started working on new ideas towards the end of 2023,” guitarist Joe Perry says, speaking between band rehearsals and dodging rain at a very British garden party. “It was off the back of most of the touring for 'Killjoy'. By the end of summer, we had a batch of songs we were really excited to work on.”
Among them is the imminent new single 'Disco Dream', a high-energy burst that joins album opener 'Do It For Love', which frontwoman Jess Eastwood has described as a track that confronts the emotional and financial grind of being a working-class band. That tension, and the passion that powers through it, ripples across 'Caramel'.
“There’s a noticeable lyrical progression compared to 'Killjoy',” Perry reflects. “We were more willing to be direct about what we wanted to say. It still feels personal, but there’s less hiding behind metaphor.”
Self-produced by drummer Guy Page at the band's homegrown Mustard Studios, 'Caramel' continues their DIY ethos. “We’ve always self-produced,” Perry grins. “It’s what we know. It’s the environment we make our best music in.”
"We’ve known each other so long that a lot is almost telepathic now"
While 'Caramel' wrestles with isolation and emotional burnout, writing it proved surprisingly cathartic. “The songs are absolutely a way of coping with those feelings in the moment. But once they’re finished, they become a way of confronting them. It’s therapeutic.”
Counterbalancing all that introspection is a through-line of friendship, something Perry says is baked into every song, whether consciously or not. “It’s actually the hard moments we’ve got through that make that theme feel important. Coming through it and having an album we’re proud of is a lovely thing.”
That closeness also helped open new channels of communication within the band. “We’ve known each other so long that a lot is almost telepathic now,” he says. “But that can mean you don’t say enough out loud. I think the emotional themes of this record helped us be a bit more honest.”
"We always seem to find some sort of link back to the island"
That sense of togetherness runs deep. Coach Party still live on the Isle of Wight, record on the Isle of Wight, and tour with mates from the Isle of Wight. “A couple of our pals from home have been playing shows with us,” Perry grins. “It’s something we’ve always wanted. We’ve also got a limited edition 'Caramel' vinyl coming to our local record shop. Having links to home is really important.”
Even as their gig calendar stretches across the UK, Europe and the US - with past dates alongside the likes of Queens of the Stone Age and Wet Leg - the island roots are never far behind. “We always seem to find some sort of link back to the island, even hundreds of miles away.”
Sometimes, the journey itself becomes the story. “There was one time we got stuck in Montenegro after a festival in Serbia,” Perry recalls. “Cancelled flights meant we had to take a cab through what felt like the whole country, but it’s one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen.”
Next up is Reeperbahn Festival, where they’ll return to Hamburg - a city with some history. “Our first show outside the UK was in Hamburg, just before the world shut down in 2020,” Perry says. “So that city really holds a special place for us.”
Is it a quick in-and-out? “Feels like it might be a flying visit,” he admits. “But I’m hoping we’ll catch some acts. Everything Everything are playing the same day as us, and I think Blondshell too - they’d be on my list.”
And between gigs? “Lots of coffee and vegan currywurst,” he laughs. “That’s definitely the plan.”
