Essentially the first question everyone asks of a small, somewhat indie, pop, funk, rock, and jazz band is “How did you come up with your band name?” For the soul/pop band Couch, the story does not disappoint in delivering something charmingly obvious. Guitarist Zach Blankstein explained that he had a concussion when the band was first forming, so they had to meet in his dark basement on his couch. Yes, that made us smile too.
The band started as a kind of music collective but eventually evolved into its current form. Couch is composed of seven members (yes, we did learn the word for that and it’s septet), including Tema Siegel on lead vocals, Zach Blankstein on guitar and bass, Jared Gozinsky on drums, Will Griffin on bass, Dany Silverston on keys, Jeffery Pinsker-Smith on trumpet, and Eric Tarlin on saxophone and vocals. This past week, we got the chance to sit down with Zach, Jeffery, and Eric to discuss all things Couch: origin stories, music production, tour (and tour attire), chicken parm, and their new single out on November 25.
Eric explained to us that the work of Couch over the past two years has been to carve out “a sonic identity.” Due to Covid, Couch navigated the formation of their sound as a kind of long-distance band, meaning that “a lot of [their] sound was established in a studio setting,” Eric explained. Once they were able to really get together as a band, writing and developing songs live, the process of creating music sped up significantly, but the production background that the group had remained in place. Eric told us that you can definitely hear “sonic shifts” throughout the discography, but the group hopes that it is details like this their listeners appreciate and catch onto.
The band is currently on their second tour and this time around they brought a banner and a couch with them! Although it may not be the glamorous on-the-road lifestyle that most might imagine, Zach explains that it feels like “an exciting rite of passage with your friends.” The three members also explained to us that the quality of the show or the venue does not have to do with how big the space is, but rather the energy of the crowd and more intimate settings make them excited to play.
Couch’s new single, entitled “Saturday” is about work-life balance, a concept that the band members are all quite familiar with, as some of them have full time jobs outside of the band. Zach explains that “Theoretically someone should be distancing themselves from the hardships of the week … but they still have that to-do list and they’re trying to figure out if they should allow themselves to relax or engage in the long list of work.” It is a collective favorite of the group because it showcases the best production they have so far—something the group hopes will continue to develop. Zach told us not to quote him on the adjectives he used to describe the single for fear that they may not be entirely accurate. However, we agree that this is a relatable “upbeat, infectious tune” and hope you give it a listen!
Oh, what else did we promise to cover at the beginning of this article? Chicken parm and tour attire, that’s right! Basically, Zach, Jeffery, and Eric all support performers wearing sunglasses on stage (even inside, controversial) and Eric gave us a 47 second explanation as to why the chicken parm he makes is so good – sorry “scrumptious.” It brought a light into his eyes and is mentioned twice on Couch’s website, so if nothing else, listen to Couch’s new single if you love chicken parm too.