By John Ostapowicz
With hints of surf rock and indie pop, the band Coastal Club has outgrown its Cincinnati roots and expanded globally.
Coastal Club has garnered over 100,000 monthly listeners on Spotify, and its track “Honey” has over 10.8 million streams.
Lead singer and guitarist Alexandre Hirlinger changed the band’s name from Local Waves to Coastal Club in 2017 after adding bassist Avery Benter and drummer David McGuire.
Although the band is hundreds of miles away from the coast, the names Coastal Club and Local Waves were inspired by the surf rock genre. For Hirlinger, he wanted a name that felt like summer and being on a beach.
“We are landlocked in the middle of the country, but [Coastal Club] is trying to have a sound that is yearning for the coast,” Hirlinger said.
Coastal Club has blossomed from a small band to an international success, with fans in New York City, Los Angeles, Seattle and Sydney, Australia.
The band’s discography features two EPs, a hit single and a track on the compilation album “That Summer, Vol. 1.”
As the band grew musically, Coastal Club drew inspiration from indie rock, pop and alternative artists, such as COIN, Young the Giant and Hippo Campus. Hirlinger said he credits the band’s unique style of music to these influences.
“There are elements of our music that hints or alludes to the surf rock origins that inspired our music, but I don’t think it’s as prevalent as it used to be,” Hirlinger said.
Hirlinger said he fell in love with music at a young age because of his guitar teacher Ryan Morgan, who played in the band Seabird. Morgan taught Hirlinger how to learn songs by ear, which contributed to his creative writing and musical performances.
A major stepping stone for Hirlinger was the opportunity to play guitar at his local church, which he credits for his musical ability.
“I had ample opportunity, and that was one of the biggest [moments] for me as you are learning new songs every single week,” Hirlinger said. “I owe a lot of my musical ability to playing in churches when I was younger.”
Although Hirlinger and Benter have moved from Ohio to Nashville, their love for Cincinnati will forever be a part of Coastal Club’s identity.
“That is where we are from, and we want to identify as a Cincinnati band,” Hirlinger said. “We have stayed with that nomenclature as a Cincinnati band.”
After a three-year musical hiatus, Coastal Club has singles planned for March, which will be a part of a waterfall release leading up to a new EP.
“After this release, I don’t think it will be nearly as long before the next one,“ Hirlinger said. “We are really excited about it. We have seven songs that are nearly done.”
2024 is shaping up to be a big year for the band, with shows planned in Commerce, Texas at Texas A&M University-Commerce and Indianapolis at the Hoosier Dome as well as performances across Ohio.
Coastal Club will perform in Cleveland at 8 p.m. on April 5 with Jordan Dean and Liam Brock at the Beachland Ballroom and Tavern. Tickets can be purchased in advance at wearecostalclub.com.
