Graphic by Ella Sylvie
When I first heard Rain on Fridays’ music, I was instantly captivated. I am a person who likes to jump between music genres, particularly indie and emo music. However, when listening to Rain on Fridays, I was able to find a blend of these genres and others that grabbed my attention. Rain on Fridays is a small, female-fronted band from San Diego, California, made up of lead singer Madison Coe and lead guitarist Jesse Miller. Coe and Miller began playing live shows in 2018 and over time, the duo went from being two separate people — a vocalist inspired by the sounds of her home city and a bassist who found inspiration in The Beatles — to becoming an actual band who began putting out music they had written together.
Rain on Fridays describe their sound as alternative, indie, surf rock and emo rock, drawing on many different influences from their lives. Coe explained, “I definitely feel like if I hadn’t grown up in San Diego I would have never incorporated indie into anything I’ve ever made,” due to the large indie scene in San Diego. Similarly, Miller feels that the “surf culture influenced (her) guitar playing.”
Their favorite artists are another significant influence. Gesturing to a Kurt Cobain poster covering the wall behind them, Coe and Miller explained that they draw inspiration from bands such as Nirvana, Buddha Trixie, Sonic Youth and No Doubt for their emo, indie sound. However, staying true to their roots as a small band, Rain on Fridays also draws a lot of inspiration from small, local bands that they saw in concert or listened to growing up, such as On Drugs. These local bands have not only inspired Rain on Fridays’ sound, but their reason for making music as well. Additionally, music helps Coe and Miller understand that even when things are bad, “things will get better.” They hope that their music will have the same effect on their audience.
To date, Rain on Fridays has released four singles and a debut album titled “Mono Monday.” Their first single came out nearly two years ago on February 21, 2019, titled “Lincoln’s Licorice.” Rain on Fridays’ next single, which is also featured on their album, is called “Slumber Party,” and it was their favorite song to write and record. There was a lot of screaming and chaos for the recording, and that lively environment made it very memorable and exciting. Even just watching videos from that day, with three or four people screaming into a microphone in Miller’s garage for background vocals, brings lead singer Coe much joy. To Rain on Fridays, their debut album was a sort of stepping stone to their new sound, which is more fluid. This new sound is explored in the first single released after “Mono Monday.”
“Desperate Invasion” was a favorite for guitarist Miller to write. Miller explained that these songs launched Rain on Fridays to a new sound which has influenced their upcoming work. Beyond that, Coe is “really excited to have (these songs) out” because of the strong meanings attached to the songs. In the past, the meanings of their songs were more of a hidden message, but with their newer songs, the message is almost thrown in your face. For instance, the song “Desperate Invasion” is about believing women and uplifting their voices instead of shunning them. The main message of this song, as best told by lead singer Coe, is all about “taking the power back and stating, ‘this is my voice, I don’t give a fuck what anyone else says, you can’t tell me what my story is.’” This embodies the purpose of this band and exactly what they stand for.
Rain on Fridays thoroughly enjoyed live shows while they lasted. However, they’ve used this pandemic as an opportunity to really focus on creating and appreciating the process of creating. Previously, they feel as though they may have rushed through the creative process for their first album in order to fit release dates and a tour schedule, but with no choice but to stay inside, Rain on Fridays believe that taking their time “definitely made it a lot better and the quality is a lot higher,” in that the songs have clear meanings and messages. Consequently, they are “sitting on a lot of music that (they have) written and recorded” over the past year, and they hope to release a few singles this year and are open to the possibility of even releasing an EP.
With their fusion of sounds and musical inspirations, Rain on Fridays is open to a lot when it comes to making music. When asked about their dream collaboration, they started off by explaining that they would want to work with a woman like Sidney Gish to continue pushing the boundaries of alternative music. But after further thinking and some more discussion, Rain on Fridays agreed that they would honestly be open to collaborating with anyone simply for the fun of it. They will not limit themselves to one genre; they are willing to expand the horizons of alternative music and incorporate any sound or person that will elevate their music.
Until these collaborations and a potential EP, look out for Rain on Fridays’ new single, “Hey Man,” that will drop at the beginning of March. As two young women who are in a field dominated by older men, they wrote this song for people who feel out of place or as if they don’t belong. They hope that after hearing the song, listeners will “want to mosh and feel something.” If you are looking for new music or a new artist to follow, check out @rainonfridays on both Instagram and Twitter and definitely keep a lookout for their upcoming work!