The Dead Coats was a high-powered, guitar-driven rock band with very clear punk rock influences. They were a tight ensemble with guitarist Joshua Jones laying down the riffs and blistering leads, backed by Joe Osteen's nimble bass lines and the forceful and sharp drumming provided by different drummers on what had been a more or less continually changing line up. Vocalist Lauren Warner is a ferocious singer brimming with raw energy as she belts out her lines in the best rock tradition. Their songs were usually in the standard rock range with only a couple of power ballads sprinkled along the way. Their earlier albums were more overtly fuelled by a rock'n roll meets old school punk sound, with an occasional tip of the hat to roots rock.