Reading the Coda Conduct

The gutsy and witty rap duo, Coda Conduct have been taking the Australian music industry by storm. Originally from Canberra, Sally and Erica now live in Sydney, regularly presenting on Triple j, hosting Weekend Arvos and filling on flagship shows Breakfast and Drive, while still pumping out the “bangers” we know and love.

Ahead of the release of their new single, Love For Me (which is set to grace our ears on Friday), and their annual appearance at the Canberra leg of Groovin’ The Moo at the end of this month, Emma de Kiefte chats with one half of the duo, Erica, to find out what’s on the cards for Coda Conduct.

Let’s take it back to the start, how did Coda Conduct first come to be? Where did the idea come from?

It sounds crazy, but Sally and I first met travelling with some mutual friends in India. We pretty quickly figured out we were both secret rap nerds, and we (half jokingly) made a pact to become a rap duo when we got back to Australia. So, back in Australia a few months later, we somehow stayed true to our word.

 It’s a pretty unusual way to start, how have you made it work?

As any musician will say, there have been a lot of sacrifices along the way – late nights, missed weddings, a couple fights – but I wouldn’t change anything.  You also learn to be pretty resilient, ’cause haters always gonna hate.

Taking it just as far back tell me about the ‘red couch’ that was involved in your first ever first music video? Where is the iconic couch now?

We picked it up from Revolve in Canberra. Sally’s dad (an absolute legend) rigged some wheels onto it, and we just rolled it down the street to the first roundabout near Sally’s house. Where is it now? Great question. We let it roll free, and I’m sure it’s hiking through the Himalayas or checking out the Sistine chapel right now.

You’re classically seen as a witty and cheeky duo, however, songs like Matter More hit a different and intense tone; will future songs explore darker or more serious topics?

For sure. Making people laugh is important, but ideally, we make them think at the same time. We’ve do have a couple of straight talking tracks in the works…

The lyrics in your songs are intelligent and clearly painstakingly chosen. Where do you get the inspiration? Is there anything in particular that inspires you?

Writing lyrics is kind of like doing a thousand-piece puzzle. You’re trying to find that one damn piece with the blue and the little bit of brown on it for ages and then suddenly – it’s there, and it all falls into place. It’s a really addictive feeling when you finally get it, so that keeps us going. Also seeing all our friends and other Australian musicians killing it makes us happy and creatively driven.

What has been your favourite gig?

There’s always something special about a hometown crowd. One of my most memorable gigs was when we sold out Transit bar for our first EP tour. I’ll never forget the energy of the room when we started performing one of the tracks on the EP, Pool Room – the crowd was cheering and chanting along so loud we couldn’t hear the beat!

What’s it like performing with people such as the Thundamentals and Tkay Maidza? Do you have any people you hope to one day collaborate with?

Thundas are kind of like our caring and cool big brothers. They’re always looking out for us. Playing shows with them is wild. And of course, Tkay is a gun!

The collaboration wishlist is huge and currently includes Lee Lin Chin, Leikeli47, Lady Leshurr, Pharrell and Alanis Morissette.

What can we expect from your upcoming single?

It’s called Love For Me. You can expect a big, bouncy, poppy self-empowerment anthem. You’ll be able to hear it on the 12th of April – or you can get a sneaky peaky sooner if you go to our website and sign up to our mailing list.

How will it differ or grow on your current material?

Well, firstly Sally produced it, which is super cool. Also, it’s a bit more electronic than our previous stuff. I feel it’s the strongest and most confident we’ve been and I’m really proud about where we’re heading!

Are you excited to perform at GTM in Canberra this year? Coda has become a familiar name on the GTM line up – what makes GTM so great?

GTM is a festival with a vibe like no other. I’m so impressed by their core values and their vision for a safe, inclusive and positive festival experience. Not only do they prioritise the interests of punters above all things, but they also treat their musicians like queens! You should see backstage – there’s free massages and a snack bar. Yeah, I know right.

Is your set going to differ from previous years? What can the audience expect this year?

Two words. New. Music. Quite a lot of it. Also, maybe a harmonica solo.

What does the future for Coda Conduct look like? What are you hoping to achieve?

We just want to make music. All the rest is a bonus. We have so much new stuff to show you. Coda making bangers! Toot toot, get on the Coda train, ’cause it’s a hell of a ride.

You can be first to listen to Coda Conduct’s new single by signing up here.