For Ben Lomond brothers Jamie and Kellen Coffis—the former, a 25-year-old keyboardist and singer, and the latter, a 21 year-old vocalist, guitarist and harmonica player—it’s not a matter of what life has to offer, but when they’ll get it. On “Love On My Side,” off of their debut album, they wonder, if “life is really just a battle with time, and I’m sick and tired of waiting in line, when will that arrow point at me?” Turns out they don’t need Cupid’s assistance, since locals have fallen fast for these budding folk rockers. The Coffis Brothers & The Mountain Men was released on June 17, after four days in Gadgetbox Recording Studio, with the help of producer Andy Zenczak and friends, The Mountain Men: bassist Mason Hutchinson, drummer Henry Chadwick, and guitarist Kyle Poppen. “We are all more than satisfied with the results because there is a nice mix of impatience and spontaneity on the record, which gives it a kind of personality,” says Jamie. That personality is present throughout the album, with heavy keyboarding and electric guitar complementing Kellen’s country-tinged vocals. Their easygoing disposition shines through too; Jamie admits they’re “pretty damn near 50/50 on songwriting … it kind of sounds like we could have written each other’s songs.” Perhaps the two are so in sync because they play soccer and beer pong together, plus share an affinity for Jackie Greene, Buddy Holly, Tom Petty, Jay-Z and Kanye West. The band heads to The Crepe Place this week for what they consider to be, a life-altering gig. “It’s a rite of passage for a Santa Cruz band to play there,” says Jamie. Little did they know that the lyrics for “Shape I’m In,” would articulate the band’s anticipation for what the future holds: “Yeah, I can taste it. I ain’t never been that close before.”
INFO: 9 p.m. Thursday, July 21. Crepe Place, 1134 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. $8/adv, $12/door. 429-6994.
