By Will McGuirk
SInger/songwriter Chuck Coles, Dungeon alumni, known in this area via Organ Thieves, Brown Brigade, Cauterize, has a new album ‘“Worse Things Have Happened to Better People” due out later this year.
And of course with a new album comes touring, so happy to say he also has a couple of local Oshawa dates (Feb 21 with Flatliners and Chastity at Bond St, and Mar 17 at Biltmore Theatre with Codefendants), plus he’s on the line-up at this year’s Mariposa Festival.
In a short Facebook Messenger exchange Cole talked about the new record.
“Its a collection of songs I have had over the years that I sent to my dear friend Chris Cresswell (The Flatliners, Hot Water Music). I remember watching him when he wasn’t allowed to be in the bar and now growing into the artist he has become. I felt safe sharing and collaborating on the songs I have with him. I sent him 30 songs and let him pick what he felt was the strongest message.”
“I have been fortunate enough to travel the world playing my guitar and learning from all different genres. I have always been writing more personal songs on my acoustic guitar and have found myself opening up that chapter of my life recently,” he says.
Coles is opening for Flatliners at the Bond St, home of course to the TwoTwoTwo which was once the infamous and much loved all ages venue The Dungeon. The club played a pivotal role in Cole’s development, as well as many others such as Chastity .
“I grew up in Whitby, and Oshawa, playing in punk bands and learning from watching the older punk rockers. I would watch Trigger Happy up front to see where Mark (Gibson) put his fingers to learn songs. Another band called Rodent really opened up my eyes to punk rock. Six Story Psychos was a band that really hit me hard when i was really young. Oshawa had so many amazing bands i just wanted to be a part of whatever was going on. One of my first bands was called First Offence, Chris Hill (Out of Hand) recorded us on a 4 track in his parents basement. I cut my teeth playing shows across the Greater Toronto Area. Spent my youth writing songs in the back of the Dungeon. Still chasing the same thing: honest sound,” he says.