Los Angeles retro/electropop trio, Copper The Bet, have a distinctive sound that sets them apart from their counterparts, blending their influences of pop, punk, rock and as a buddy of mine mentioned, “Dude it sounds ska-ish!” Their newly-released EP, Champagne, is a surefire summer hit. There’s no question that this is one band you’re gonna want to check out if you’re dying to dip your toes into something original. I got to chat with frontman Brian Summers on what inspired the band’s sound, influences, and of course, what he’s jamming out to lately.
First off, congrats on the Champagne EP release! It’s pretty stellar. What would you say influenced these tracks, lyrically and sonically?
Thank you so much!!! During the time I was writing the album, there were a lot of things happening in my life, good and bad that inspired my lyrical mindset for each song. My feelings ranged from gratitude, nostalgia, betrayal, love, uncertainty, and hope. The lyrics on the Champagne EP ended up serving as my journal as I tried to make sense of it all. As far as the music, there were two major sounds that inspired my aspirations to write intelligent pop songs: 60’s Detroit Era Motown a la Holland-Dozier-Holland and The Funk Brothers, and the 80’s New Wave stuff I used to love to dance to at some of Hollywood’s 80’s clubs in the early 2000’s.
Your mantra, “Listen. Dance. Repeat.” is similar to ours here at The Daily Listening (Listen. Love. Share. Repeat.) What do you hope listeners take away from your music?
I used to always be so drawn to dark minor chord progressions and only wanted to pen out lyrics when I felt like shit. However, in person I am a very positive and energetic person and I wanted to tap into that side of myself creatively for Copper The Bet. We’re all about showing people a good time!
Your music transcends the whole electropop genre, taking it above and beyond the norm. What was the dynamic between all of you when forming the band and has your sound changed from your initial vision?
Our drummer Scott Price and I decided to start this project a little over three years ago. We’ve worked together for years before that and have a great yin and yang when it comes to our strengths and weaknesses. I am very much left-brained and he is very organized and structured. He keeps us on time, both musically and in pursuing or goals. Steven Irribarra and I have played in bands for years. He plays multiple instruments, has a fantastic ear and finishes my sentences musically. Both these dudes are brothers to me and I am grateful to have them on my team.
The early demos I recorded in my apartment had quite a bit more of that 60’s vibe, but the songs began to take on a different shape sonically in the studio as I tinkered with arrangements and dove deeper into different synthesizers.
Time to get nerdy (and because we’re nosy): What were the first and last albums you bought?
Haha the first album I bought was the Kris Kross Totally Krossed Out cassette. The last album I purchased was the new Sufjan Stevens, which I really enjoy.
What are your top 5 albums of all time?
1. The Beatles – White Album
2. Michael Jackson – Off the Wall
3. Stevie Wonder – Innervisions
4. Fleetwood Mac – Rumours
5. Radiohead – OK Computer
What are you listening to lately?
Lately I’ve been into bands like Cherub, Toro y Moi, some Little Dragon, and Thief, but I like to switch it up across multiple genres. Being a native Angeleno, I have watched ungodly traffic continue to balloon each year and I listen to almost exclusively classical music in the car to try to zen out!
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Champagne is available now here.
