It’s been a massive year for Best Coast, they released their critically acclaimed sophomore album ’The Only Place’ (Popfrenzy Records), after teaming up with producer Jon Brion (Kanye West, Fiona Apple). ‘The Only Place’ entered the US Billboard Charts at #24 with live performances on ‘The Late Show With David Letterman’, ‘Late Night with Jimmy Fallon’ and ‘Conan’ (O’Brien) backed by headline tours in the US.
Best Coast will be hitting our shores this New Year to play Falls and Southbound Festival plus two exclusive headline shows in Melbourne and Sydney!
On top of touring Bethany started up her own clothing line for the Urban Outfitters retailers and we found out one of her other passions is food, eating healthy and something called Kale (Kale or borecole is a form of cabbage)….
What were your food influences when you were growing up and what kind of food did you eat at home or with your family?
My dad is Italian, so we ate a lot of pasta when I was a kid. Sadly, my main food groups were spaghetti and macaroni and cheese and chicken fingers, haha. I have to admit I wasn’t the healthiest kid, but I think as I got older I learned more about health and nutrition and now I pride myself on eating really healthy.
What dish or cuisine do you most like to eat on tour and why?
I try to eat as many vegetables as possible. Touring is really unhealthy at times, with all the drinking and staying up late, etc… So I try to do as much fresh food as possible; stuff like kale, salads, spinach, fresh juices, high protein meals. I just started eating meat again – i was a vegan for almost 5 years, but now I love eating grilled chicken and turkey burgers and stuff.
What type of food do you hate, and what is the most disgusting thing you’ve ever eaten? Tell us the story.
I hate celery more than anything. People think it’s really weird because celery has virtually no taste, but I absolutely hate it. I have tried so many times to force myself to eat it – douse it in peanut butter, or just try to hide the taste, but no matter what I do to it, I always hate it. When I was a kid my mom used to send me to school with “ants on a log” which is celery stuffed with peanut butter and raisins places on top. I remember scooping out the raisins and peanut butter with a spoon and throwing the celery away, haha.
What type of food do you make sure to avoid before a gig or going on stage?
Anything carb related. I have made that mistake so many times – eat like a bunch of bread or pasta before going on stage, and then I am so tired I want to fall asleep. I try to avoid gluten related dishes like pasta and bread, but sometimes they get the best of me and I indulge. It’s just really important to try and eat something light before performing, because eating anything too rich or heavy will totally take it out of you.
Imagine for a second you can request anything on your rider at a gig. What food would you put on it?
Steamed kale with lentils, fruit smoothies/fruit and veggie juices, grilled salmon with lemon and garlic.
What has been your biggest cooking disaster to date?
To be honest, I haven’t really had one! I love to cook, but I cook pretty much the same thing over and over, but I tweak the ingredients a little bit – so I kind of have my cooking on lock down.
When you tour overseas, what food from home do you miss the most?
Kale. I am truly obsessed with it, I eat it every single day, so when I go places where finding really good produce is hard, I get really bummed out.
This is your last day on earth, what is your final meal?
Fettuchini Alfredo with chicken… and the carbs and calories don’t count!
Catch Best Coast in Melbourne and Sydney on:
Wednesday, January 2 – The Hi Fi (MELBOURNE) Tickets available from www.thehifi.com.au
Thursday, January 3 – The Metro (SYDNEY – ALL AGES) Tickets available from www.metrotheatre.com.au
