Q&A: Chasing Picturesque Folk Nostalgia with Bo Staloch
INTERVIEW
INTERVIEW
☆ BY CARSON HUFFER ☆
2025 IS LOOKING TO BE THE YEAR OF BO STALOCH – Full of powerful acoustic guitar and heartfelt folk lyricism, Bo Staloch’s music feels like it deserves to be listened to while sun-kissed and driving amongst the most cinematic of scenery. Raised in Austin and now based in Nashville, singer-songwriter Bo Staloch seems to pull from the wealth of his surroundings and experiences to curate a special sonic blend of country, folk, and americana.
While his career is still young, Staloch has held the public attention since his first release – Bo’s debut single “Springtime Red Tulips” was released to immediate acclaim in August of 2023. In the year and a half since, Bo has released a variety of singles and embarked on tour with Wyatt Flores and Richy Mitch & The Coal Miners – letting his fansfall more and more in love with his passionate croons like “Hell’s On The Loose” and “Your Eyes Tell Stories.” Most recently, we fell in love with two of Bo’s newest singles, “Wait It Out” and “Santa Fe,” a duo of tracks holding deep emotion and fleeting nostalgia in both their lyricism and their accompanying visualizer
LUNA received the opportunity to chat with Bo about touring, the many ways to describe his music, and what comes next for a star with so many exciting moments on the horizon.
LUNA: Hey Bo! So excited to get to chat with you. How’s life been lately?
BO STALOCH:: Life has been beautiful and at the same time quite a lot. I’ve been getting myself re-introduced into the real world after my first taste of tour, which has taken a little bit longer than I thought it would. You forget how long days are when you aren’t driving for 8 hours every day.
LUNA: I’ve been a massive fan of yours since first hearing “Springtime Red Tulips” and have been so excited to continue to get to know you more and more through each single that has followed. What has been your favorite part of the last year of music making?
STALOCH: The last year of “music making” has been full of so, so many beautiful moments, places, and people. I think it is impossible to pick a favorite, but one of the most special that comes to my head was my headline show in Dublin, Ireland. Even saying that sentence doesn’t even feel real. I cried my eyes out after that show…
LUNA: I know every artist handles songwriting differently, including some having certain rituals or standards that spark their inspiration or get them in the zone. Is there anything specific that is a constant part of your songwriting?
STALOCH: Most of my songs come from essentially just a stream of consciousness. It usually “just happens” and I know that is kind of a boring answer; I wish I could say I have this awesome, cool ritual. I try to keep it as honest and genuine as possible when writing, and I think that when listening you can feel that - at least I hope so.
LUNA: Your newest single “Wait It Out” has an absolutely gorgeous lilt to it that I cannot get enough of. I heard you wrote this track with Sam Harris from X Ambassadors, can you tell me more about that experience co-writing with Sam?
STALOCH: Sam is an absolute force of nature. He is one of the kindest and most motivating people I have worked with this year. His creative spark and energy is something that inspires me every time I pick up a guitar, and I am beyond thankful for the time, energy, and love he has poured into me. Love that guy to death.
LUNA: The visualizers for “Wait It Out” and your prior single “Santa Fe” both hold a really cool vintage feel to it, almost looking as though they were filmed on an old Super 8 camera and just now dug out of the archives. What inspired this imagery and feel?
STALOCH: I think my music has a very “earthy” and “organic” feel to it. We wanted to try our best to capture that same feel through the visuals, and we thought that the raw super 8 film style would get us there. The talent I was surrounded by shooting those videos was overwhelming, and I felt so incredibly lucky to work with that team.
LUNA: “Santa Fe” really resonates with me as a somewhat anthem for the niche feeling of resentful nostalgia, especially in the lyric of being “sick and tired of fakin’.” How does it feel releasing music that is often quite personal and emotional? Is there anything that you have to do to prepare to release something so honest and raw?
STALOCH: Release days are always extremely weird and at times difficult for me. Before the release, my closest friends and family hear the songs, and even then it is tough sharing the vulnerable things I write in my music. Once the song is released, essentially the whole world has an entry way into my life and brain, and that can be very intimidating. I don’t do a whole lot of preparation, but I will set my phone down for a good amount of time on release days.
LUNA: I know you spent the fall touring with both Richy Mitch & The Coal Miners and Wyatt Flores – which has to have been such a blast! Touring definitely brings about some interesting moments for artists, so I am curious what’s been the most surprising part of touring for you?
STALOCH: The most surprising part of tour had to have been the fact that I never got over the nerves. Before every show I was just about dead with nervousness, lying on the floor [with my] eyes closed every night. I find that to be a pretty cool and beautiful thing (as much as it sucks in the moment), because that feeling only tells me that this all truly means a whole lot to me.
LUNA: You just announced tour dates with Ashe and Houndmouth in 2025 – congratulations! What should fans be most excited to see in a Bo Staloch live show?
STALOCH: I think the band elevates my music to a whole new level. The energy, love, and passion we all share on stage is so evident, and very contagious. This year will be a year full of a lot of new music (which I am so, so excited for) and a lot of those new songs will be incorporated into our set.
LUNA: Now for a few abstract get to know you questions, I’d love to peer a bit more into your mind. If you had to describe your music abstractly as a color, what color would it be?
STALOCH: This is a really cool question! I think I’m going to say the green of a really awesome-looking oak tree that is just soaking in the sun. To where the green is like reflecting this cool golden color. Maybe that is a little bit biased, but I’m going to go with that.
LUNA: Okay, how about your music as a shape?
STALOCH: A shape! I don’t quite know why I want to say this, but I’m going to say the shape of a zen garden or like a labyrinth? Maybe just a star.
LUNA: A taste?
STALOCH: Grilled cheese dipped in tomato soup.
LUNA: Say you’re introducing someone to your music for the first time and could place them in the perfect environment to really encapsulate the music – what would that environment be?
STALOCH: I think the dramatic and emotional landscape of Big Sur encapsulates the sound landscape of my music incredibly, hence the reason we chose Big Sur for a lot of the new visuals.
LUNA:I know your career is still quite young, but I also can only imagine how much life has changed since the release of “Springtime Red Tulips.” Looking back on the last year, is there any advice you wish you could give yourself when you were just starting out? Alternatively, any advice you were given that you wish you had taken?
STALOCH: As cliché as it might sound, I just wish I took more moments in with intention. There was a LOT of running around, and I wish I did a better job slowing down and being intentional with taking in more moments.
LUNA: Looking forward to the rest of 2025, what’s coming next that listeners should be getting excited for?
STALOCH: A lottttt of new music. I have never been more proud of music I’ve made. I seriously can’t wait for these songs to be out in the world, I have worked very hard on them.
