#4 - Balcony Weekend
#4 - Balcony Weekend
Sometimes all you need is an oceanfront balcony and an acoustic guitar to form a beautiful duo.
It’s amazing how the weeks are flying by, it’s already September! It also has been a month since “Small Ears” launched. We managed to interview different kind of people who gladly shared a fraction of their world to us. I hope that you discovered a few artists in these previous issues.
Today we are diving in the world of a talented duo from Southern California who debuted in 2021. Their name, “Balcony Weekend” represents how they met and where they wrote their first lines.
Can you present yourself in a few words? Where is the name of your band coming from?
Stephen: Angela and I (Stephen) met through mutual friends and quickly became close friends after writing together. We took a weekend trip down to San Clemente shortly after, and ended up writing most of our first EP out on a balcony with just an acoustic guitar and our other close friend/producer, James Colla. I would say the identity of Balcony Weekend could be summed up in that very trip. Good vibes, great memories, and a whole lot of beach weather.
Angela: Yes, the name is quite literal after writing several songs out on that oceanfront balcony :) After that trip, we had planned to work on the songs again and in the calendar we blocked out “balcony weekend” and it stuck.
When did you start your musical career? What motivated you to start it?
S: My parents aren’t musicians, but growing up, there was always somebody playing music or dancing around the house. Because of them, I grew up listening to a lot of great pop music, whether it be The Beatles or Michael Jackson. I started my musical career pretty much right out of high school by playing in pop punk bands with my friends and truly figuring it out via trial and error. I was lucky enough to experience touring and traveling the country right after graduating, and knew at that time that I was meant to work in music however I could.
A: I have always loved singing since before I could form real sentences. I’d make my family listen to my made up songs while I sang them on the fireplace like a stage lol. I grew up singing in musicals and choir, but it wasn’t until I learned guitar in high school that the dream fully formed for me. Once I learned how to strum a few chords and write a song I was hooked.
What genre of music do you play?
S: Balcony Weekend is pop down to its core. Bedroom pop, Singer-Songwriter pop, Indie pop, etc.
A: I’d like to think that the style of pop we write has a timeless pop appeal to it…that’s the hope, that it can be relevant for years on end.
Is there an event, an artist or a band that inspired you?
S: Going to Warped Tour as a kid was huge for me. Artist wise, I draw a lot of inspiration whether it be creatively or individually from people like Frank Ocean, John Mayer, and Blink-182.
A: John Mayer is an inspiration for me as well along with greats like: Amy Winehouse, Carol King, Sheryl Crow and Kacey Musgraves
Is your music your principal work? If not, what else are you doing?
S: Music is my main thing - whether it be Balcony Weekend, songwriting, or working on my solo project, Labit.
A: Yes, fortunately I can now say that music is my main job! At my core I love songwriting. Similar to Stephen, I have multiple projects and love being able to write for the projects of others as well.
NB : Even in not mentioned here, Angela also have a solo project : LeyeT
Where do you perform most of the time? On which platform is your music available?
S: Currently, we play a lot around LA, but one of our goals is to expand that to other cities! Our music is available literally everywhere you could possibly listen to music. Besides Mars, probably.
Where is THE place or country you would like to perform ?
S: I would love to perform in the Philippines one day, just to be able to see where my family is from and play music there. Red Rocks in CO is up there on the bucket list as well.
A: OMG Red Rocks would be such a dream for sure. For Balcony Weekend, I’d love to perform at outdoor venues and festivals in the states and other countries. A couple more to add to the bucket list: Hollywood Bowl and Outside Lands in San Francisco
What are the songs you want to share with people that don’t know your music?
S: I’d probably go with a three song share: Cut Me Out, She Don’t Even Know, and Imagine. I feel like those really encapsulate us as a band.
A: I’d add Remember Everything to Stephen’s list :)
What is the song you are the most proud of?
S: Probably “Imagine” or “She Don’t Even Know”. I think they both had a sort of therapeutic effect on me while we were writing it. It felt like those songs say exactly what I needed to hear at the time, and I think it’s pretty cool being able to write out your feelings and then have people connect to them.
A: Honestly, same.
What are you using to record your performance ? Are you doing everything by yourself ?
S: Mostly everything out is produced either by James Colla or Chris Ganoudis. Both are close friends to us who just happen to be uber talented producers. They both work in Pro Tools. It’s nice to be able to work with a small team of friends we trust with our sound.
If you could recommend a small group or artist to people, which one would it be and why?
S: Love this question and I could give you a million recs. Currently, I’ve been loving Orion Sun and Carol Ades. Orion Sun is perfect for a chill introspective vibe. Carol Ades’ songwriting had me completely inspired from the moment I heard it and I think it speaks to the gravity she has as an artist.
A: Yes, Carol Ades - wow the songwriting! Jensen Mcrae too - I remember the first time I heard her perform at Hotel Cafe and was just stunned. Her voice, songwriting and emotional delivery are remarkable.
Do you have any new songs in preparation? If so, can you give us a little hint about it?
S: We do! Our next single is scheduled for release sometime mid-October. It’s probably the most fun song we have to perform live so I’m excited for people to hear it and be able to jump around and sing along to it.
A: I'm excited for it too :) I think it’s the most high energy vocal approach we’ve done yet.
What are the places where people can follow you ?
S: Instagram, Spotify, and Tiktok are probably the best places!
A: All are @balconyweekend :)
Do you want to add something?
S: We’re incredibly thankful to everyone who has supported us this far and continues to stream our songs! I feel like we aren’t able to express that enough online, so I’ll say it whenever I get the chance to say it. Thank you.
A: Thank you for expressing that Stephen :) Yes, starting anything from zero takes a lot of TLC1. To the people here building with us, thank you. We couldn't do it without you and wouldn’t ever want to! I love creating and experiencing life as a community. I hope everyone on this journey with us and listening to our songs feels a part of that Balcony Weekend community <3
I personally am now, a fan of “Balcony Weekend”. I can’t wait to hear their next title, I marked my calendar for the mid of October. Is there any song you discovered that you enjoyed? Write it in the comment! Personally, I really like “Sweet Side”.
Get ready for a new month of small artists! See you next Friday !
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tender loving care