With lip piercings, purple eyeshadow and pitch-black hair, Tyler Jack Coffino tapped his mic briefly, rocking back and forth. Giving a small smile to the crowd that gathered at FirstLive, a studio space in Brooklyn’s Bushwick neighborhood, he excitedly awaited his cue to sing the song he’s most proud of: “Savior,” a song about a conflicted soldier in love with his prisoner of war.
“Lift the hands from your head and say a prayer for the dead,” sang Coffino, who prefers to go by TJ.
When he’s not singing about complex world issues, TJ doubles as a junior at Hunter College, majoring in Political Science. While he dreams of a life on stage, TJ knows that isn’t sustainable just yet, and instead, hopes to get involved in his community through politics and music.
“Music is, first and foremost, a self expression [for me],” he said. “Singing, specifically, has always been an intimate way for me to share a piece of myself with the audience.”
That’s why he loves his band Miss Teen America and what they represent. With lyrics reminiscent of popular bands like the Cure, and a front man with uncanny similarity to Gerard Way of My Chemical Romance, TJ’s band combines talents of five NYC-based men who look to share their passion for all things Goth with the world.
After all, that’s what brought them together in the first place.
The band originated with TJ and bassist Vic Vermin, who posted fliers all throughout New York City and Hunter College, that read “Do You Want To Be In A goth Band?” After over 10 auditions, they found four other members to form the band last May.
“I feel very accomplished that this was an idea Vic and I had and that we ourselves, and no one else, made it happen,” said TJ.
Growing up on Long Island with Jewish and Italian roots, TJ said he has always experimented with who wants to be – from trying new hair colors to getting different piercings – but has always stuck true to his beliefs and mindset.
“I have known him since he was young, and thought he and his family were rad,” said Hunter Junior Sean Belenky. “He’s basically the same as he was then as he is now.”
Since he was young, TJ has lived by this idea of doing things himself, and walking to the beat of his own drum. He’s had a lot of fun defining what Goth means to him, which is much more than just dressing a certain way.
“Really, I got my lip piercings because they seemed cool,” he said. “I don’t think that you need to necessarily dress a certain way to prove you like something.”
Looking forward, TJ is hopeful for the future of his band, and can’t wait to do more shows with even bigger crowds. For now, he hopes to continue writing songs that convey important stories.
“I have very strong ideas for what I want in the music, and the same thing for what I want for this world,” TJ said. “Although, I can kind of make a difference in one and not the other.”
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Readers can keep up with TJ on his band’s Spotify and Instagram (@msteenamerica).
