What initially started as a band formed from a serendipitous karaoke encounter has turned into one of the most polished young indie rock groups. Garnering attention from covers done in their basement and a couple of eps on streaming led to success pretty early in their career. They entered the fall of this year with their debut LP, Hush. Don’t let the fact that it is a debut fool you; it isn’t affected by the typical growing pains that you may see in bands that got recognition in a similar way. It’s a sharp, frigid, and varied work that is one of my standout records of the year so far. The band met with me between tour dates to discuss the writing process for the project and the nerves of making their first LP.
HP: How is your year going so far?
Henry Hughes: It’s been a crazy year for us. We’ve done a lot of things that we have been wanting to do. Started the year off well. We were on tour, and we’re back touring again. We did some more touring and festivals in between. It’s been awesome.
Zac Fogarty: We went to London for the first time as a band this year. We recorded our first-ever album.
Jackie Uhas: We’ve played after this tour; it’ll be 50 or 60 shows this year. We did a support tour. We’re doing a headline tour, an album, and festivals. From two years ago to just starting to be here now is pretty wild.
HP: Have you guys been able to play some of the songs off of the album before it was released, or did you want to wait?
ZF: Just a few of them.
Tony O’Keefe: We played “Arctic” and “Paranoia.” Those were the two we played before we released them. Played “Under” a couple of times at some of the festivals too.
HH: Some of them changed a lot, but some of them haven’t. We are a live band and are informed by the audience and their energy. I definitely think that there are a lot of songs on this album that were born from wanting to fulfill that. Understanding how our fans are and what energy we want to build on tour. We’re super informed by touring and live shows. While also just making songs that we love and feel are cool.
ZF: We see how the crowds react and fit that into a flow. It has been cool to play some of these songs live for the first time ever on this tour. It might even be the last time ever for a song.
HP: For the writing of the album, you guys went to a cabin during the winter. How do you think that environment affected the tone and emotions of the album?
JU: Inherently, because we’re from Minnesota, we spend so much time in the winter. So much time in the dark and cold. As musicians, it also ties in a little bit to the energy of the basement that we first started playing in. That coldness and depth have influenced us from the start. Going to the cabin was almost enhancing it all the way to that full end of the spectrum. Just honed in and amplified that sound that we had already been building since we first started. It was really cool and different. As Minnesotans, it was very true to our hearts and home.
HP: What’s the song on the album that you guys had the most fun recording?
ZF: I had a lot of fun recording “Baggage” and “Crossfire” because those are the two songs that changed the most throughout the course of the whole process. They were completely different songs before. It was really cool to see those come together. To see those come together and end at a place that we felt proud of.
TK: I would say “Under” for the most part; that was just all of us in a room together in one live take. It was just like we were playing it live.
Kyle Siemon: Didn’t even know we were recording. It was just like we were playing.
HH: For me, it was LRB (Living Room Blues); when we recorded that one, it was snowing. I was looking out this big window at Pachyderm Studios, where we recorded. I was tracking the bass. It was one of the vibey feelings in a heavy snow.
JU: Mine might be getting drunk for “Under” because that was the last thing I did in the studio before we left. That’s one of the biggest moments. I remember we were celebrating, and these guys were watching the Timberwolves game. It also might be “Paranoia” because I got a video of the full take that we ended up using. It’s really cool that I get top look back on this one take that became the biggest song on the album. I get to have that memorialized. Doing harmonies on all the songs was really fun because it’s not something I’m used to. Zach helped a lot by playing his guitar. I don’t really know how to write harmonies, so Zach and our producer, Caleb, wrote most of the harmonies on the album.
HP: I feel like you really switched up your delivery a lot on this project as well. It’s very varied. Was that a focus for the album, or did it happen pretty organically?
JU: It happens fairly naturally. The guys have a lot to do with that in terms of what they write and what it brings out in me. They’re the ones who are the catalyst for whatever I end up singing. Their playing evokes an emotion or brings back a memory. Or puts me in a certain headspace. Then we build it all together and make a story. I’m a very all-over-the-place person in terms of personality and things going on in my mind. So this album does a really good job of capturing all the different sides.
ZF: It was fairly intentional to have all these songs do different things. To invoke different feelings. Anything from “Under” to “James” is on the record. They’re next to each other intentionally to make it feel more like that.
HP: While you guys have two Eps out, this is your debut LP. Did this feel like an introduction still?
ZF: It still felt like the first big one. For the last two EPs, we recorded in five days each. This time we did two separate sessions, and you were in the studio for a lot longer. Did a proper writing trip. Everything was more fleshed out and real.
JU: We’re album listeners. As a rock band, we admire how bands do full bodies of work. Releasing the first one felt very much like a “Here we are” statement.
HP: In terms of sequencing, it sounds like you guys took a lot of time to think through it. When you sat down, what were the things that stood out to you about how it should be sequenced?
ZF: It was cool because it came together after we left the studio. Our producer helped us a lot too with the sequence. I listened back the other day, and it’s a cool story that you can hear Jackie tell. That wasn’t even fully intentional, but it was. There are definitely parts of the album where we wanted to group the songs together. Then it was about figuring out what those parts make the listener feel.
JU: I remember we had talked about it a little in the studio, but we wanted to hear them fleshed out. Start to listen to them a little bit more on our own. Trying to feel what Zach said, this story and plotline almost. We also didn’t want to group together our slowest songs. It’s about finding the songs that would come after them. That was the most interesting part. Putting “James,” “Under,” and “Violence” all in that spot was a really cool decision we made.
HH: We also thought about the vinyl a-side/b-side thing. Which we’ve never had to do before. So that was cool.
HP: Talking about “Violence” because it’s almost a resting spot on the album. Then, right after, is the heaviest song on the album. Why did that feel like the right place for both of those songs?
ZF: It was just a little interlude. It’s not really a fully fleshed-out track. It was just Henry playing guitar and Jackie sitting in the living room of Pachyderm. Our friend Aaron had this little field mic, and he was just recording them doing their thing in a natural setting. It felt cool to throw that on the album. It’s a point where you float there, and then it drops you into the rest of the album.
JU: For me, it reminds me of when you’re going through the stages of grief. Where you’re sad, and then you’re just angry as fuck. That wasn’t why we made that decision. But now, when I listen back, it reminds me of when I was going through stuff. Sometimes it starts with you feeling sad for yourself and sorry. Then you’re just pissed. That was a really cool moment because it was us sitting around. I was kind of sick, and we wrote that at the cabin too, so it all tied together in the end.
HP: I saw an interview where you talked about you guys almost leaving “Oxygen” off the last EP. Now it’s your guys’ biggest track. How do you reflect on almost not putting it on the EP?
ZF: We were a new band. Right away it didn’t fit with the rest of that EP. Then, we just kept playing it. We played it live a bunch. People we trust and care about convinced us to record and put out. Our manager especially.
KS: I remember talking to him about it, and I was like, “You know what? Let’s wait on it. Let’s put it on the next one.” He was like, “You go to do it now. Why not?”
ZF: I will say, Kyle was always the pusher for that song. He always loved that song.
JU: We were playing it in Henry’s basement at the time, and our roommate texted me while we were writing it like, “What the hell was that?” Again, Leo and Kyle were the catalysts for how it ended up on the track. I don’t think I understood the song completely until we recorded it.
HP: What’s the last notable song you listened to?
KS: We were just talking about this.
TK: What’s that, Beabadoobee one you guys have been playing?
HH: There are like eight of them.
JU: I’ve been listening to “In Motion” damn near every day. It’s so good.
TK: It’s not out yet, but our opener has this song called “Earthquake” or something. It should be coming out soon. We’re obsessed with that.
JU: “Gimme a Reason” by Tabar. They have an EP. I haven’t fully dived in yet, but I just found it. I’ve been listening to it every single second of every day for the last three days.
HP: What’s one artist from your area who should be bigger than they are?
HH: I would say this band called WHY NOT. They’ve been around a long time, just making cool shit. They have a new project that may be coming out soon.
JU: Lana Leone for me. I just saw her live a little while ago with WHY NOT. She makes sick-ass shoegazy, grunge music. She’s super cool and nice. She’s playing with us soon.
HH: There are so many. There’s so much I could name a lot more.
JU: As a whole, Minneapolis artists deserve a bigger spotlight on them. I don’t think people understand how important music is to the city and to Minnesotans. Sometimes they don’t get as much attention, but there’s incredible music coming out of the city.
HP: Any last message to the readers, fans, or listeners?
HH: Thanks for buying tickets. It’s crazy to see how many people come to buy tickets, merch, and support us. This tour has been incredible, and we’re going to continue making music. We can’t stop.
JU: I’ve been saying this at shows lately, but it’s an honor to be able to have people not only listen but also feel something and evoke emotions in people with our music. That’s the greatest gift as an artist that you could have.
Catch Porch Light on tour here.
