The A-side Sessions presents: Coral 9

As we near eight months without live music, we’ve all been forced to find creative ways to enjoy and showcase our favorite artists. Our A-side Sessions accomplish just that, bringing people together with intimate music sessions, even as the world seems to be falling to pieces. 

Enduring the sweaty weather, we masked up and hosted our second band, the fantastic Coral 9, who somehow managed to make a scalding hot afternoon feel breezy and cool. Stretching from East Bay across the nation, this band has pieced together its members to bring a fresh take on the familiar R&B sound that we all know and love. We were lucky enough to interview the group on everything from how the band started, to navigating songwriting amid a pandemic, to playing their dream venues. Check out our interview with Coral 9, as well as their performance of  “Zelduh” and “Spinach Artichoke Souffle.” 

Natalie Gott: Hey guys! Thanks for joining us today for our second A-side Session. I’m Nat, I’ll be hosting you guys today here at The B-side, and I’m hosting this lovely band Coral 9, who’s joining us on this very hot day. Thank you guys for making the trek over here on this very hot day— it is toasting. How far did you guys have to travel today?

Riley Magpoc: Dublin. Yeah these guys are from Dublin. 

NG: You guys are from all over and pieced together, right?

RM: From across the east bay, yeah. 

NG: So this isn’t all of you. You guys have some people in Miami, that’s Alfonso and Ally. And then you’ve got Adam in Southern California. So how does this all come together?

Kaveh Hodjac: Communication.

RM: Communication! Being friends!

KH: Hard work and communication!

RM: We just like making music together. We support each other. 

Juhuhn Kim: Also, shoutout to Adam for usually playing guitar. 

NG: So, we had Juhuhn for our last session, No Room No Sweetener, and he’s making a second debut today, taking Adam’s place. So we’re so happy to have you back. So how did you guys all meet? How did this come together?

JK: All four of us went to high school together. 

KH: I’m still in high school. 

JK: The young prodigy. I met Dominic at USF and then we kind of just came together. 

Dominic Rubio: Yeah we met at a house show. 

RM: We all just jammed together. 

NG: So is the first “show” you guys have played since coronavirus came to the United States back in March?

DR: Yes, that it is. 

NG: That’s crazy. How much are you guys missing it?

RM: A lot. 

NG: When COVID-19 is clear and we’re all finally able to go to shows again, where do you guys want to play?

RM: Madison Square Garden, man! Outside Lands! All of it. Rolling Loud!

NG: Oh of course, you can’t aim too high. 

Marcos Hoy: Birthday parties, weddings. 

NG: Birthday parties; I’ll hit you up for mine. April 3rd. Mark it on your calendar. 

RM: Oh that’s my girlfriend’s birthday!

NG: Oh yeah, that’s so sick. Okay, so since all of your bits and pieces and kind of everywhere, how do you come together to write a song? Who is the main person in that or is it just everyone coming together with ideas?

RM: I do a lot of the lyrics and the chords. 

KH: It’s definitely changed since COVID-19 began. 

NG: Okay so how is that working right now? 

MH: Okay, so for example, the demo that we’re working on right now, Riley had originally sent vocals and guitar, stemmed, like as one. And then, I know I was practicing different parts and ways to do stuff on the keys. We add on one at a time. 

RM: We kind of just add on all of the pieces. 

KH: I feel like guitar and drums are usually what we start on. Cause Riley will come over, we’ll figure it out, then we’ll send it out to everyone to put, like, their uniqueness on it. 

NG: Okay, so today you guys are going to play a couple of songs for us. Are any of those songs ones that you’ve made during COVID-19?

RM: No.

MH: Yeah!

DR: Released during COVID-19.

MH: I mean we recorded “Zelduh” and “Spinach Artichoke Souffle” right at the start, in January. 

*sound of sirens loudly going by in the distance*

NG: Woah we’ve got something going on! That’s just what happens when we’re filming outside. This is Berkeley. Alright, so we’re just going to take this into a couple of songs from you guys. What are you guys going to play for us today?

RM: First we’re going to play, “Zelduh”— that’s Zel-DUH. And then we’re gonna play “Spinach Artichoke Souffle.”

NG: Alright sick, let’s get into that then!

Written by Daniella Ivanir and Natalie Gott

Photos by Lyle Kahney