Bluebird to host Houndmouth

Matt Myers, vocalist and guitarist for band Houndmouth, said the band’s philosophy is to always focus on their craft. 

“We don’t have a lot of spectacle to distract from the music,” Myers said.

The band will perform 9 p.m. today at the Bluebird Nightclub to kick off their winter tour.

With a style that combines components of folk and rock, Myers said the band tells stories through their songs.

“We have a lot of influences from a lot of different areas of music,” Myers said.

The band will play original songs as well as covers, Myers said. He said he thinks the performance will be fun for both the band and the audience because of the music and the environment.

Myers, Katie Toupin, Zak Appleby and Shane Cody formed Houndmouth in November 2011.

Myers said the band members knew each other from New Albany, Ind.

Although they went to different high schools, the four were close and bonded because of their musical interests.

“We’re all friends from high school,” Myers said.

Houndmouth also knows about the Bluebird because of their Indiana roots.
“The Bluebird is special to us,” he said.

Myers and Appleby played in cover bands together for years prior to the formation of Houndmouth, according to the band’s biography.

Toupin and Myers worked together for three years as an acoustic duo.

Cody and Toupin went to high school together before Cody moved away to study audio engineering.

When Cody returned from New York, Myers said they started the group. Appleby joined to play bass, and Cody became the drummer.

At this point, Myers said they were still looking for another strong vocalist which led them to Toupin.

As the band came together, each member became equally a part of the creative process, Myers said.

Each of them will sing lead at times because they do not have a specific lead singer.

“Usually whoever sings the song wrote it,” Myers said. “We try to keep it as far from a dictatorship as we can.”

Each member helps keep the others in check and provides constructive criticism.
The band doesn’t invest any time in reading reviews because no good comes from it, he said. 

Myers said the band is looking forward to performing at the Bluebird because it is a good performance space.

The intimate setting is far better to the band than any impersonal stadium full of people, he said.