My Rig: C.O.F.F.I.N

Thanks for taking the time Ben! With Out In Oslo out and the band about to head out on your biggest headline run yet, can you speak a bit to your sonic influences for this record?

I think like most it’s the culmination of all the things you pick up on and get excited by from that first time you experience some emotional reaction to music. And this record probably shows we’ve had a few more runs around the sun and broadened our intake of music. All the classics like AC/DC, [Black] Sabbath, Mötorhead, Stones, Stooges etc. but also a bit more traditional folk and blues as well as country influences getting through.

Can you give us a rundown of your current rig, and has anything changed heading into this touring cycle compared to previous C.O.F.F.I.N runs?

For the record I borrowed Bryce’s kit from Amyl And The Sniffers. A Ludwig Classic similar to what I’ve been hiring when touring internationally. 

I run a pretty standard meat and potatoes rock set up: one rack tom, a floor, 2 crashes, hats, and a ride. Probably the most distinct feature of my set up is having a hi-hat mounted tambourine. Touring Aus I’ve usually just used whatever the house kit is or call on the generosity of a support to sort me.

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What does your setup look like these days? Has the more expansive, dynamic sound of Out In Oslo pushed you toward anything new, or are you sticking with what’s worked for you in the past?

It’s kinda funny because of the nature of touring I never really use my own kit which is a maple DW Collector’s Series I got for cheap in LA after it was used for demos in a store on Sunset Strip. I definitely need to get new cymbals, I’m currently borrowing our manager Jake’s, all mine are pretty smashed up.

With the documentary 10,000 Miles From Oslo charting more than two decades of the band, has looking back at your gear history over the years changed how you think about your current setup at all?

I mean it’s really nice to have decent gear with the band playing bigger shows now, you feel way better while playing, but I’m glad I had such a random mix of stuff I had to play on over the years.  [It] makes you very versatile. I also used to like heaps more stuff on the kit when I was younger. More toms, more cymbals etc.

Classic kid attitude that ‘more was better’.

Between headline shows, festival slots, and now international touring, does your rig change much depending on the size or type of show, or do you try to keep things consistent wherever you’re playing?

Pretty much keep it the same for everything now. We got our first custom logo bass drum head the other day which is pretty cool, haha.

Photo by Dougal Gorman

Most importantly: amps. What are you running live, and does that change at all for a headline show versus something like the King Gizzard-curated block party?

Abijah: For the most part I’ll run a Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier into a Marshall cab loaded with [Celestion] greenbacks. That’s the standard setup for touring and headline shows but for something like party or festival shows where the backline is provided, it’s usually a [Marshall] JCM 800 or 900 but sometimes you never know what you’re gonna be hit with and can kinda get away with anything really. That’s where the ol’ distortion and boost pedals earn their keep.

Aaron: Usually I try to run a JCM whenever I can but have definitely played through absolute dog shit plenty of times! Just like Abijah said, always have a lil overdrive pedal ready in case it’s one of those occasions.

Kosty: Where I can, I’ll run the Ampeg SVT Classic head into an 810 cab which is very lightweight and not heavy at all to lug around. I’ll run a little bit of overdrive from my pedal into the rig and it gives it hella crunch. That paired with a 70’s lawsuit-era Greco ‘Rick’, it’s VERY loud. For smaller venues, I’ll still run the same set up-will just have to turn it down a tiny bit.

Do you find yourself reaching for the same gear for both live and recording, or does the studio bring out a different side of your tone?

We were lucky this time around to be doing most of the instruments at Sundowner Studios in Melbourne which has a bunch of cool gear in it. So we’d often switch stuff up and play around for different tracks. “Try this guitar on this one, get that amp out for this, switch this rack tom out with a bigger one for this tune…”

In your own words — what makes the ultimate C.O.F.F.I.N sound? Has that definition shifted at all across six albums?

Heavy gear played very loud. Finally got to play as loud as we wanted on this last record.

Photo by Dougal Gorman

Can you tell us a bit about your first instrument, and what led you to the gear you’re currently playing?

My first kit was a chunky 80s yellowing Pearl Export that my mum got me second hand from the iconic but now gone Billy Hyde’s in Sydney. I suppose I slowly started to copy the drum set up from most of my favourite rock bands like The Stooges, The Band, [The Rolling] Stones, AC/DC etc.

What’s the one piece of gear you/the band can’t live without on this upcoming tour?

My hi-hat mounted tambourine!

Learn more about C.O.F.F.I.N’s upcoming tour here