Tomorrow night (Saturday, 9/21) the homegrown indie rock band celebrates returning to New Orleans with a show at Tipitina’s after an epic summer of festivals and touring. We caught up with the lead singer for this e-interview:
You’ve had quite a summer, hitting some of the biggest festivals in the country. What was you favorite part of doing the summer festival circuit?
We’ve had a great time hitting all the festivals this summer, but the thing that I’m most excited about is becoming a part of the festival family. We can now go to any city in America and see friends that we’ve met along the way. It’s an exceptionally good feeling.
Two of the festivals that you hit this summer, High Sierra and Bonnaroo, have major New Orleans connections and traditionally have booked lots of New Orleans bands. Can you compare the two festivals in a few sentences?
Hot, sweaty, dusty, vibey, and filled with a whole lot of people who genuinely love music and the power that it possess.
Ben Ellman of Galactic produced your most recent album. How has your connections with him and his band impacted your reception at new venues on the road?
Ben has been a great mentor for the band. The Galactic connection has helped us in many ways. It helped us realize our own potential as a band and also put us in front of a crowd that otherwise might not have been so easily accessible. I’ve also done a couple of tours with them as their lead singer, that’s been crucial in these early years.
Looking forward to the gig Saturday night at Tipitina’s, How has this landmark summer for the band affected your music?
We are too! We’ve definitely gotten a lot tighter this summer. It’s been good for us in so many ways. We’ve learned a lot of what to do, and more of what not do. We are always eager to absorb more knowledge and careful to not let our sponge dry out.
Finally, with Harvest the Music and Voodoo on the rest of your fall calendar, what’s in the works for the band in the coming year?
We are very excited about the future. We have Jam Cruise coming up in January and will be recording a new album!
