Shallow Side was in Madison for the annual Bratfest festival this past week and Inside The Setlist had the opportunity to catch up with them and pick their brain about their new album coming out. The morning of their performance at Bratfest, Shallow Side was also a part of a radio takeover on the local rock radio station, 94.1 JJO's Morning Show with Johnny and Greg. The band has been getting a ton of local exposure.
After having talked with the band and never seeing Shallow Side perform before, I was excited to see their set at Bratfest. What started as a showery and wet morning, the skies cleared, turning into a sunny afternoon. Shallow Side must have brought some of their warm southern Alabama weather with them.
Once Shallow Side hit the stage, it was good to see the guys have a good sense of humor. Vocalist Eric Boatright was sporting a bright yellow fanny pack with the Bratfest wienie on it. The band took the stage with so much energy, and they knew how to get the crowd pumped up. If you haven't seen Shallow Side live or listened to them before, they have a unique sound which makes them stand out from other artists in the same genre. Throughout their set, the band really engaged with the crowd making every fan, new and old, feel like a part of the Shallow Side family.
Shallow Side has multiple tour dates throughout June in support of their new album, Saints and Sinners, coming on July 26. If Shallow Side hits a venue close to you, give these guys some love and go out and support them. Big things are coming for the guys in Shallow Side. With the release date for their new album coming up, the band is showing everyone that they are ready to take their music to a new level.
Check out our interview and photos from their performance below!
Shallow Side's setlist:
Revival My Addiction Stand Up Renegade Sound the Alarm Can You Hear Me Hallelujah Rebel
Q: You have a new album coming out this summer, which is also your first full-length album. How was creating this album different than previous work?
A: Creating this album was a lot faster process; it was more professional. I would say because we were working with Elvis Baskette and the guy is a legend. It was a huge learning curve, but it was a great experience to be part of. I think the biggest thing, at least for me, was the writing process of developing the song track per track and with the full-length album in mind. We haven't done a full-length album yet, so this was cool to sit down and write the entire book and not just little pieces of the story as it goes along.
Q: Saints and Sinners is produced by Elvis (Michael Baskette). Was it intimidating working with him, especially knowing he has produced some of the big-name artists he has?
A: Absolutely. Before we walked in there, it wasn't just meeting one of your favorite bands. You don't know this ghost, you've never seen this face before. Then you start placing all these songs that you love "Aw man that was him?", "Shit that was him?" "He did that one too?" "...the whole album?". That built up some anxiety, but then you meet him, and you understand that he's just a skillful, talented individual. We got into good terms and understood each other with what we wanted and what we were shooting for, what he wanted out of us and what we wanted out of him, and that was understood very quickly in the relationship. I think it was halfway through the recording process that he up and texted Myles Kennedy and says, "Man, you gotta hear this song I just tracked with these guys in Shallow Side.". Myles replied after hearing it, "Hot damn, those boys got a good sound to them.". That was the moment I looked around and thought, "Are we really doing this?".
Q: What were your influences for the material on the new record?
A: Our direct story. Who we are, and where we're from. It's a full-length album, so we can put a stamp in the ground of everything that's happened up until this point. We've been a band now for eight years. There's been a lot of life, love, and loss that's happened in that amount of time.
Q: You have a new single out, Sound The Alarm, how have the reactions and feedback been for that?
A: It's a continuous growth at this point. Sirius Octane, among local radio stations, picked it up today. We're either #16 or #12 on the secondary charts, and it's starting to match on the primary charts. It's been interesting because a lot of the times it's on the radio, people have no clue it's us. The sound is so much bigger, so much more professional. The song is thick. It's a quick sexy little number, so it just pops off, and I think a lot of people just get lost in it. Next weekend Alternative Press is putting out the music video for it. It's a growing ball right now.
Q: How has your current tour been going? You have a few dates Texas Hippie Coalition and Framing Hanley, how is it sharing the stage with artists like them?
A: It's fun for us because we're younger, so we smoke them every night. But not really. Framing Hanley is good friends of ours, and we've done quite a few shows with them. It's always a privilege to play with them. Texas Hippie Coalition, this is the first couple string of shows with them. We played a festival in Ohio a while back, we didn't get to hang out with them a lot, but they seem like our style of people. We've got to see a lot of people we've known for a long time and met a lot of new faces on this run, it's been fun.
Q: You're in Wisconsin, which is known for beer and cheese. Have you guys had a chance to try some of the beers that are exclusive to Wisconsin? What have been some of your favorites?
A: Spotted Cow, that's some good stuff. We had that for breakfast. We had Spotted Cow, bloody mary's, and White Russians for breakfast this morning; no cheese though.
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