Homegrown band Couch ready to take stage at Boston Calling, "We're really grateful"
BOSTON - Horns, drums, guitars, and the amazing voice of lead singer Tema Siegel all come together to form the sound of Couch. The members of the seven-piece band are nearly all from the Boston area.
When they formed in 2018 it seemed like they were meant to be together.
"We all grew up in the greater Boston area and met each other through school and synagogue," said Siegel. "I remember in high school, really wanting to be in a band and not really understanding how that happened - how I could meet the people that I would hit it off with. I definitely didn't predict I would find six other people to do that with."
Despite the connection, the timing just was not quite right. They all went off to college after high school. Yet, they did not let distance keep them from making music.
"We're writing music virtually through Facetime or Zoom, sending a lot of files back and forth," keyboardist Danny Silverston explained.
And that musical communication eventually prepared them to keep writing, even during the pandemic.
"We sort of knew how to handle that situation of not being able to rehearse together, but still having to produce music," Silverston added.
The music of Couch is a mix of funk, jazz, and rock., and it is all one big collaboration.
"Some of the 70's funk bands are huge influences for me that I think a lot of us try to emulate," said saxophonist Eric Tarlin. "Bands like Earth, Wind and Fire, Tower of Power. Just the good stuff."
"We've got different people involved in production; it's a whole hodgepodge," explained Siegel. "I think it's easiest to start with one or two people, but by the end, we have to get everybody involved."
The band says a big part of their energy comes from the horns on stage.
"It really just brings another layer of energy to the live performance," Silverston said.
Now they are getting ready for Boston Calling - a showcase they have been working toward.
"I like to think we made our presence known in Boston as one of those banks that was working hard and on the way up and we're really grateful to be featured," admitted Siegel.
