BETHLEHEM, Pa. — For many bands, the coronavirus pandemic was a time of trying to figure out how to work virtually or, worse, a time of career interruption.
Not so for Boston indie pop-funk band Couch.
The seven-member group — who all grew up as friends — developed as musicians and as a band while all went to different colleges nationwide.
So working remotely simply was the way Couch operated — years before COVID-19 hit.
Couch will perform at Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks in Bethlehem at 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 16 — kicking off the venue's 15th year of free summer concerts.Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks
That arrangement also likely allowed all the member's musical influence to shine through — resulting in its pleasantly mixed-genre, 1970s-influenced sound.
Couch at 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 16, will perform at Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks in Bethlehem — kicking off the venue's 15th year of free summer concerts.
"We had to learn how to work long-distance for a couple years" when Couch first started, guitarist Zach Blankstein said in a recent call from his home in Boston.
"And then when COVID hit, most bands that were touring together and currently living together, they had to come off the road and learn how to have a remote workflow for writing and recording.
"Whereas because we were spread out across the country at different colleges, we just continued status quo for another two years of writing and recording remotely, sending each other files."
‘Excite us to be playing together'
It was during the pandemic that Couch released its debut self-titled EP in 2021, as well as three singles before it ever played a live show.
“Yeah, we were doing writing sessions over Zoom and Facetime, and then literally recording each of our instruments separately and sending them to each other," Blankstein said.
"Compiling them into one master session, and releasing that music.
“Now, some of us got to quarantine together and do some things in person. So it wasn’t truly remote, but the real core of the creative process was putting together these songs by piece as we were apart.”
Doing those parts separately let each player sound distinct — playing with personal style and influence.
"It really allowed us to focus on the songwriting element and figure out who we are as composers and writers and producers together, which was incredibly valuable experience," Blankstein said.
“We’re a band of seven people, with diverse musical backgrounds. Basically what we’re trying to achieve is creating music that has an accessible pop framework — something you can turn on with your friend, or whatever it may be, and it doesn’t feel out of place.
"A lot of us have a jazz background and many of us learned through playing in jazz bands growing up and found music like that. So those musical sensibilities were just part of what united us and excited us to be playing together."
‘Low barrier for entry'
That resulted, Blankstein said, in a payoff for "for those who are interested in listening and looking beyond the surface."
The includes "interesting harmonic choices, melodies — things that musically feel really rich and things that excite us of other music, tributing to Stevie Wonder and Earth, Wind and Fire, Tower of Power, sort of on the funky horn side," he said.
“And then more on the songwriting side, like a Joni Mitchell, David Crosby. We love The Beatles and Aretha.
"Our music is by no means an accident."Couch guitarist Zach Blankstein
"[We're] basically trying to create a low barrier of entry for music that people can really sink their teeth into. We’re sort of trying to write pop songs, but all appreciate an enjoy playing this other type of music that goes a bit deeper.
"Not to say pop music is shallow," he said with a laugh. "But yeah, there is a real admiration for music, specifically of the ‘70s, that we are very conscious of it being an influence while we’re creating our music.
“Our music is by no means an accident."
On the other hand, because Couch "never actually stepped on a stage together for the first three years of being a band," Blankstein said, "there was this whole half of being a band that didn’t exist at all for us.
"Which is how do you play a show? Build a set? Build performance chemistry?
So for the past couple of years, the band has put a big emphasis on touring, he said.
"We’ve had about 200 shows since then, toured all across the U.S. and Europe," and most recently was the opening act for a tour by funk guitarist Cory Wong.
‘What they're looking for'
Blankstein said the approach has paid off: Couch has found that it's reaching multiple generations of listeners.
“Yeah, we have a lot of families and multi-generational groups coming to our shows," he said.
"A parent who grew up in the ‘70s liking Stevie Wonder bringing their daughters to the show who listens to Ariana Grande.
"And they can both receive what they’re looking for from our show.”
"We were first just friends in life, all caring about music, and started playing together and Couch began through that."Couch guitarist Zach Blankstein
For those who have been unable to get to one of Couch's live shows, it recently released “The Sweater Sessions II,” a live-in-studio record that "was specifically a way to capture the live energy of our shows in a recording studio," Blankstein said.
"Everything’s recorded live, we’re having a good time. There’s a while YouTube series if people want to watch the videos of these songs.”
More music is on its way this year, he said.
The Levitt SteelStacks show kicks off Couch's biggest tour yet — playing such venues as the Ram's Head club in Annapolis, Maryland, and Union Transfer in Philadelphia.
Later this summer it will open a series of shows for Lake Street Dive.
"Some bands become friends after finding each other musically," Blankstein said.
"We were first just friends in life, all caring about music, and started playing together and Couch began through that."
