From jamming on the National Mall to playing a sold-out show at The Atlantis, I present Couch, a Boston-based funk-pop band. I had the incredible opportunity to sit down with some of the members of Couch and chat about their new extended play, Sunshower, and their ongoing tour. Here’s what Tema Siegel (lead vocals), Zach Blankstein (guitar, bass, vocals) and Jared Gozinsky (drums) had to say.
Much of Couch’s seven-person ensemble initially met in high school. Here, they began experimenting with different sounds and creating music together. However, Siegel highlights that Couch was not officially formed “until we left Massachusetts to go to college. Some at George Washington University, I was in Chicago, and we had people in New York and Rhode Island. Like, we really left and then became a band.” Once Blankstein and Gozinsky connected at George Washington University, Couch became a reality.
All three of the members I spoke to mentioned that the pandemic posed complications to their process, primarily that they were not able to collaborate in person. According to Gozinsky, Sunshower was their “first extended project that we actually wrote, recorded, produced while we were all in the same place.” Throughout the interview, it was evident how much in-person collaboration meant to the members. Whether it was talking about Blankstein and Gozinsky’s musical endeavors at GW or happily reminiscing on touring, it is clear that Couch is not just a band, but also a group of friends.
Siegel and Gozinsky both say their favorite track is “L.A.,” the second track on Sunshower. As drummer, Gozinsky liked that he could create “a little bit more of a motific drum pattern” and be a part of the melody. Siegel noted that when she and Blankstein started writing this track, “it felt too folksy and even a little bit too theatrical.” Couch’s signature sound is upbeat and optimistic, with soul and funk influences. The fact that they created this song that wouldn’t traditionally be expected on a Couch record and made it fit in so perfectly was “a lot more fulfilling than just bringing in songs that feel like they’ll work from the beginning.” Another track that Siegel noted as outside Couch’s genre is “Let Me Hold You,” which was “a sad folk song” originally written on a ukulele. It now has a synth solo and feels cohesive with the rest of the project, which Siegel said was cool to see.
In addition to the musical aspects, the lyrical themes also show growth from Couch’s past work. As the band encountered changes in their personal lives (like graduating college), they noticed a “more complex, more serious tone” in their writing. Siegel stated, “It’s exciting to be able to share more sides of ourselves through this project.” And with a seven-person group, there are a lot of sides to show. Gozinsky says that with the ability to write, record, and produce the EP altogether, they were able to include each person’s individual influences: “There’s a wide range of genres and styles, and there’s kind of something for everybody, and I think we can attribute that to basically people being more active in the production process.” On a similar note, Blankstein said, “Each song on the EP has very specific influences […] it’s kind of scattered intentionally, and it’s cool.” Mentioning influences from Doja Cat to Paul Simon, Blankstein appreciates the wide variety of tastes he and his bandmates have and is excited about the fact that they were able to combine them all in this project.
And with a new EP obviously comes a tour! A third of the way through their U.S. tour, Couch has hit cities all along the East Coast and will be moving west throughout December and January. Blankstein and Gozinsky both spoke to the fact that for many attendees, it’s their first Couch show. Blankstein specifically mentioned the band’s existing comfort with performing and thinks it’s “special that at a time we’re feeling good about putting a show together, that’s the first impression we’re leaving,” on many tour-goers. Additionally, Siegel appreciates the dedication she’s seen from fans, who have been “singing along to songs that we put out a week ago.”
Both Blankstein and Gozinsky dubbed D.C. their “college town,” calling it a “home away from home turf,” so I’d bet their stop here on November 18th will be pretty special. “I think D.C. is a pretty cool place to nurture creativity, and that gets slept on sometimes so we’re very appreciative of our musical experiences together in D.C. so far,” Blankstein said. He made sure to shout out some venues that were kind to him and Gozinsky while being students in D.C., such as Songbyrd, DC9, and Black Cat. He and Gozinsky reminisced on playing in public spaces like the National Mall, or on GW’s campus. While DC isn’t stereotypically known for its power in the music world, both of them stressed how much the city contributed to their creative process and start in the industry.
Check out couchtheband.com for available tickets in Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Denver, Austin, Dallas, Detroit, Chicago, and Indianapolis! If anyone will be in these locations over the next two months or knows people who will be, I highly recommend you attend. And if you are unable to make it, continue to stream Sunshower on all streaming platforms and follow them on Instagram @couch.theband. Stay on the lookout for more music and more tour dates, because Couch is just getting started. It was so much fun to talk to Couch, and I can’t wait to see their career continue to grow!
