Pacific Coolest: Spokane’s Newest Indie Obsession
If you ask Pacific Coolest where their name came from, you won’t hear some long, mysterious backstory about a late night jam session or a metaphor about the ocean. You’ll hear something refreshingly human the name stems from a Capri Sun Pacific Cooler. That playful honesty sums up everything you need to know about this Spokane duo.
Made up of lead vocalist Madison Van Blaricom (23) and Caleb Nichols (23), Pacific Coolest blends nostalgic color, experimental sound, and a very specific kind of local energy that feels both weird and wonderful. Their music is sharp and cinematic; their visuals bold and layered; with their story deeply rooted in the creative soil of Spokane.
The band was born out of friendship and timing. “I actually suggested to Caleb that we create a band since he liked making instrumental tracks, and I liked writing and singing lyrics,” Maddie says. “Caleb didn’t agree with me until a third friend made the same suggestion almost four years later.”
When that moment finally came, it stuck. What started as a creative outlet quickly became a sonic diary of their lives in the Pacific Northwest a place they both describe with affection, grit, and humor. Caleb remembers the beginning clearly: “In an effort to take my mind off some personal life issues, Maddie invited me to hang out. We spent the day at a grocery store, had a picnic in downtown Spokane, and drank Capri Suns. That’s where the name came from it just fit.”
To understand Pacific Coolest, you have to understand Spokane; a city that’s creative and complicated. “In recent years I’ve been describing Spokane as a mossy cemetery statue,” Maddie says. “Under all the grime is something beautiful, but to remove it is to reject its unique culture and personality. I think our music is similar to that.”
Their sound is a collision of grime and glow a mix of pop, punk, and alternative textures that mirror the city’s balance between industrial and organic. Caleb adds, “Spokane can be kind of a weird little town, and that’s not a bad thing. Living here makes it easier to embrace being authentic.”
Both artists agree that the local music scene feels personal in a way that bigger cities can’t replicate. “The indie community here is super tight knit,” Caleb says. “Everyone just kind of wants to support each other. Every local musician I’ve spoken to has been kind and helpful, offering advice on everything from equipment to venues.”
Visually and musically, Pacific Coolest rejects minimalism. “I hate how minimalist Spokane is becoming,” Maddie says. “A piece of me dies every time I see a historic structure replaced with white, grey, and glass. Spokane has always been a city of artists. I hope Pacific Coolest can be a sonic relic of what Spokane has always been to me even if the visuals don’t match that moment right now.”
Caleb echoes that same energy through their visual storytelling. “Each song we make has a certain visual to go with it. My goal is to make every music video feel distinct; each one uses colors that I think the song feels like.” That creative touch gives their work a layered, emotional quality an invitation to not just listen, but see.
Pacific Coolest’s third album Saturated feels like their most intentional work yet. For Maddie, it represents years of growth, change, and reflection. “Saturated was written over very distinct life changes. I graduated from undergrad, welcomed my first niece, started grad school, got married, lost loved ones and through it all, I stayed in Spokane. Some things never change, and that can be both comforting and frustrating.”
The album explores the five stages of grief through the lens of acceptance; a theme that reveals itself in both its emotional weight and creative experimentation. Caleb describes it as “a culmination of everything we’ve made so far.” Tracks like Radio Silence serve as love letters to their earlier sound distorted, reshaped, and reimagined. “It feels like the end of one thing and the start of something new,” he says.
For both members, success isn’t measured by fame or streams, but by connection. “Someone told us our music helped them through a tough time,” Maddie says. “To them, it was a point of refuge. That changed how I see our work. Even if I’m not proud of everything we’ve made, it means something to someone, and that’s enough.”
Caleb agrees. “The satisfaction I get from finishing a song or video is unreal. Truly, I do this as a creative outlet. I love every part of the process.”
Their advice for other young Spokane artists reflects that philosophy: just make things. “Art is important, even if it doesn’t go anywhere,” Maddie says. “If ‘making it’ is the only goal, the artistry starts to slip. Spokane is a city of artists even if you get ten views online, post it. Don’t let fear keep you from being creative.”
Looking forward, Pacific Coolest hopes to play live shows, collaborate with local creatives, and continue pushing the boundaries of their sound. Caleb laughs, “We say we’re ready to start rehearsing for live shows, but something always gets in the way. That’s our main goal we just have to make it happen.”
Both artists dream of seeing Spokane reclaim its creative color; the raw, unfiltered individuality that once defined it. “I hope we’re a beacon to save and restore the color that used to be here,” Maddie says. “And I hope we become or inspire someone else to become something worth bragging about in Spokane.”
In a world where music and cities alike risk turning monochrome, Pacific Coolest is proof that creativity still thrives in the grime; that art can be messy, weird, colorful, and still beautifully human.
