Having spent years honing their craft, Houndmouth – Matt Myers, Zak Appleby and Shane Cody – are now in their element; they know what works for them and they continue to tirelessly pursue their goals and ambitions – something that hasn’t exactly been easy over the last 18 months or so due to the pandemic. Their new album ‘Good For You’, their debut for Dualtone Records, is a collection of songs that reflects on faded youth and unrequited love, all delivered in fantastic fashion and style, with the personality of each band member reflected through both the instrumentation and lyrics. PopWrapped caught up with the band to find out more about the new record and discover the one place they’d most love to play.
What might you say is Houndmouth’s unique selling point? What sets you apart from the many other bands and artists around today?
That’s a tough one because I don’t think I’m terms of selling a product or selling myself. I try to create stuff that moves me in hopes that what follows is it moves other people in a similar way.
Which band or artist do you often find yourself being compared to – and do you mind such a comparison?
People have been making comparisons to The Band since we started. Of course, that’s flattering because The Band are my heroes, but at the same time they are kind of sacred to me and so the comparison is equally asinine.
Is it really true that when Geoff Travis of Rough Trade saw you while performing at SXSW he offered a deal on the spot? I can imagine that was quite the ‘pinch me’ moment….
That is true. Geoff Travis is a great man who listens to music with every ounce of his being and we’re very grateful that he came to listen to us.
Tell me a little about your new LP, Good For You. Who or what most inspired and influenced this collection of songs?
‘Good For You’ was written and recorded at our house in New Albany, IN. I spent a lot of time alone in the upstairs bedroom writing before cutting demos with Shane and Zak. Eventually, producer Brad Cook and engineer Jon Ashley came to help us make it. Ive never made anything that’s sounded this good before and that’s completely attributed to their genius and care.
How would you say it differs from your previous releases, and how does it showcase your growth and development as a band?
We learned the beauty of less is more and how to be more intentional with our ideas and intuition.
Is there one particular track on the album you’re most proud of? If so, which is it and why?
“Make It To Midnight.” Had we recorded it ourselves we would’ve just hammered it with instrumentation; distorted guitars and lots of reverb. But instead, and with some guidance, the lyrics and melody to the work and it naturally achieves what we envisioned without having to force matter.
Live shows have been getting back underway in recent weeks – will you be hitting the road anytime soon in support of the new record?
We’re playing shows now. Check out our upcoming dates at houndmouth.com/tour!
Which venue anywhere in the world would you most like to play?
Levon Helms studio. We actually just played there earlier this month. It’s in Woodstock, NY and It was one of my favorite shows of all time. It holds 150 people, maybe? The room sounds great. The people that work there are pros, warm and friendly. The audience listens and shares our sentiment for that specific 70’s kinda folk music. It’s just a spirit thing. A total vibe.
You’ve received acclaim from media outlets and fans alike, but what’s the nicest thing someone’s said or written about you? Do you care much what critics think or do you just do your own thing regardless?
A lot of people say they want to cook for us and take care of us and although we hardly ever take anybody up on their offers, it’s just nice knowing that’s a thing. Critics, on the other hand, I don’t really have an opinion on. If I believed the good things it would affect me negatively and if I believed the bad thing it would affect me negatively so it’s all just noise to tune out.
Finally then, we’re less than eight weeks from the end of the year – looking back, what lessons will you take from 2021 into 2022 with you?
I learned a lot about myself. I almost gave up playing music only to rediscover my drive for writing and performing again.
Give ‘Good For You’ a listen below and for more information on Houndmouth, give their page a like on Facebook or follow them on Twitter and Instagram.
