The Bright Light Social Hour | Intervew | New Single, ‘Not New’
In these dark times, it’s comforting to put on some dance music. Since 2010, Austin’s The Bright Light Social Hour have been serving up psychedelic alt-disco.
And while so much has changed, the band continues to drop danceable anthems with an effortlessness that can only come from time. And their most recent single, ‘Not New,’ showcases a flawlessly smooth side to the band’s brilliant blend of styles.
TBLSH keep themselves busy. From composing soundtracks for HBO, MTV, and Nintendo to releasing four albums, this band has a fervent, restless creative spirit. Jackie O’Brien (bass/vocals) and Curtis Roush (guitar/vocals) built a solid foundation and were joined by Mia Carruthers (keys/vocals), Zac Catanzaro (drums) and Juan Alfredo Ríos (percussion). With this new expanded lineup, the band is ready to hit the road again! With a forthcoming album and upcoming tour dates, this Social Hour might last forever!
‘Not New,’ is a celebration of what TBLSH does best. Roush’s warm vocal stylings dance around O’Brien and Catanzaro’s rock-solid rhythm. Carruthers and Ríos add textures that allow the listener to sink into the world of the song. This is one for the Saturday night afterparty. The acquaintances and frenemies have long-since gone home (or at least made it as far as the alley out back). Now, it’s just the core-crew closing out the bar. TBLSH has this knack for painting a picture with sound, and each listen reveals more. And that’s exactly what good songs should do – help us to remember a certain time and a certain place. It might be a memory that doesn’t actually exist. But this band makes it real, don’t they?
This band is writing timeless hits. ‘Not New’ sounds like it could have been recorded in any of the past five decades. TBLSH continues to add new flavors and textures to their songwriting formula, allowing for expansive, genre-bending moments. What else will this band cook up on the forthcoming full length?
Stream the single below, and keep reading for an exclusive interview with the band!
What does it feel like to be on Bryan Cranston’s speed dial? How did you approach writing the theme for Amazon’s ‘Sneaky Pete?’
Haha! That certainly gilds the lily a bit. It was a fairly complicated project for the band. The music folks for the show gave us a week to submit demos for the theme. I think we may have put together nine but they chose the very first one, blemishes and all. We were up against some heavies but Mr. Cranston helped get us across the finish line.
What was the writing process like for ‘Not New?’ Did it always have this sort of laid-back disco vibe, or did it go through changes?
Like many of our songs, this song came together with Jackie and I, playing around on different instruments, and putting together a demo featuring some of our own personal explorations and new ones we find together. We had been talking about writing more dance songs and this one just had that feel from the jump.
What can we expect from the full-length?
Dance songs, expansive ensemble arrangements, more harmonies, more percussion, a couple rippin’ guitar solos. Time for more fun y’all.
Y’all haven’t been on the road since 2019. How does it feel to tour again? What lessons from the past few years are you taking with you?
We’re trying to keep it lean this year. We’ve toured a lot and it can be a tough slog for many of us, but this new band brings a lot of friendship, sense of adventure, and new energy. Stay hydrated too.
You’ve been a band for a long time, and longevity never comes without challenges. What keeps your collective creative fire burning?
We’re all obsessively curious – instruments, songs, genres, sub-genres, micro-genres, stories, dancing – we’re always digging, always finding new ways to relate to one another and audiences. Collaboration has been key for us. TBLSH had a bit of a Forbidden City vibe for a number of years. Working with friends in our music community has opened us up to new sounds and more importantly deep relationships. The new band is an expression of our own slow-burn opening up to our community.
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