Q&A: Why Bonnie Jumps Into the Studio After Releasing New Track “Apple Tree”
FOUR YEARS AGO, BLAIR HOWERTON — of Why Bonnie left Austin, Texas for Brooklyn, New York. She went through many growing pains, both as an emerging musician and as a young adult, while living in Texas. For many creatives, moving to New York is a fresh start, an opportunity to lose yourself in a big city. However, Howerton would find herself back in Texas less than a year later, recording with her band in a town less than eight square miles big.
Why Bonnie, composed of Sam Houdek, Josh Malett, Kendall Powell, Chance Williams, and Howerton, recorded their debut album, 90 in November, in Silsbee, Texas in 2020, surrounded by pastures and star-studded skies. The album exists as a reckoning with the past, no matter the method. The past can be remembered with a fondness (“It’s a salty sweet familiar taste when I say your name / and it always tastes the same” from “Sailor Mouth”) or not remembered at all (“When I try to remember it, I can’t / it’s slipping like quicksand” from “Galveston”).
The band would later release the record in late 2022, following the release with a tour with Pinegrove and a headlining Texas run. 90 in November is a heat wave, an arresting moment in the nighttime darkness that only exists in a rural town. Compared to Why Bonnie’s earlier EPs, In Water (2018) and Voice Box (2020), 90 in November strips the band’s sound down to its bare bones. It’s intuitive and sonically rough around the edges, an admirable development of their brand of indie rock.
Following a West Coast tour announcement with labelmates Sun June, Why Bonnie released “Apple Tree,” a B-side from the 90 in November recordings. The track is folky and parabolic, referencing an Adam and Eve romance — a perfect complement to their album.
Why Bonnie will tour the East Coast next month with Foyer Red and koleżanka. Read on as they reflect on their past year and what the band plans on doing next.
LUNA: Hello! A belated congrats on 90 in November and its accompanying B-side — it’s a gorgeous album. What has everyone been up to since its release last August?
WHY BONNIE: Thank you so much! We're so happy that it's finally out and that we get to share it with everyone. In September, we did a Texas tour, which felt very fitting for an album that was inspired by my upbringing there. After that we had some down time so we went back to the drawing board and started working on new songs.
LUNA: 90 in November is Why Bonnie’s debut album and the first project you all recorded as a five-piece. Have you learned anything new about yourselves as a band with that record?
WHY BONNIE: I think this record was a good introduction for us to learn each other's strengths. Since the recording process was pretty impromptu we had to really trust each other both as musicians and as friends. We all have our own quirks and have now spent enough time together that we know each other really well.
LUNA: Most, if not all of you, are now based in New York, which is also where most of the record was written, but it was ultimately recorded in Texas. Do you think the album would’ve existed if you hadn’t gone back?
WHY BONNIE: It was hard to find the right studio and producer to work with, especially since we were pretty much just coming out of full lockdown, but once we found Tommy at Lazy Bones in Silsbee, Texas, we knew it was the right choice. A lot of the choices you have to make as a musician are made easier if you can listen to your gut. I know that we would've made a good record wherever we ended up, but coming back to Texas definitely added an authenticity that we wouldn't have found elsewhere. Spending our days and nights in the East Texas countryside really set the tone for the record and allowed us to get lost in that feeling.
LUNA: A lot of the album is about reconciling with the past. What are things from your past you’ve learned to accept and come to terms with?
WHY BONNIE: These last few years have been some of the most pivotal years of my life. I moved to New York, fell in love, survived a pandemic, and started my journey with therapy and mental health. I lost my brother in 2016 to drug addiction and have spent most of my adult life reeling from that loss. Instead of running away from it or finding ways to cover it up, I've learned to sit with my grief and learn from it. It will always be a process, but I'm thankful that I can look back on my past with more love and understanding than I had before.
LUNA: Tell me about the B-side, “Apple Tree.” Where did it fit into the songwriting process? What made you want to release it now?
WHY BONNIE: This song came about pretty late in the songwriting process. I had written the lyrics for it a long time ago but hadn't found the right melody yet. Once it finally came to me, it just clicked. We ultimately decided to not include it on the album but knew that we wanted to release it at some point and felt that releasing it with a tour announcement was a fun idea.
LUNA: Something about 90 in November is that there was a significant genre shift compared to your other EPs, Voice Box and In Water, and you’ve mentioned that you don’t want the band to be boxed into one genre. Do you think there is another shift coming for your sound?
WHY BONNIE: I think music is a reflection of where the artist is at in their life. I know that we're all still growing as people so our music will reflect that evolution. I'm influenced by a lot of different genres because I think it keeps things more interesting. I never want to get bored of music and I think having to contain your sound is a sure-fire way to make that happen. I really respect artists that don't box themselves in but still have an undercurrent of cohesion. If The Beatles were allowed to do it then I think everyone else should be allowed to as well. I just want to make music that feels true to me, and I'll never be the exact same person I was last year.
LUNA: You just wrapped up a tour with Sun June, another great band that comes from Texas. How did you guys get connected? How has the tour been?
WHY BONNIE: They are truly such great people and musicians. Professional as hell, yet still easygoing. Laura is a great songwriter and performer, and I feel like I'm learning a lot from her on this tour. We're both on [the label] Keeled Scales and were connected that way but we've known them for a while through the Austin music scene. It's our first real West Coast tour and it's been amazing. Long drives, but totally worth it.
LUNA: You guys are also doing a spring run with Foyer Red and koleżanka and were confirmed as a SXSW artist! How do you guys feel about your upcoming shows?
WHY BONNIE: We're stoked to go on the road with Foyer Red and koleżanka! We met both crews years ago through DIY touring so it's really exciting to be sharing the stage at this point in our careers. Tour is always a mental and physical marathon, but it's the most rewarding thing in the world. This will also be our first SXSW since 2019 so we're super excited.
LUNA: Is performing in Texas any special or any different than other shows, especially after 90 in November has come out?
WHY BONNIE: Performing these songs in Texas is such a singular experience. Not only are the surroundings influential to the music, but seeing other Texans singing along in the crowd with such recognition is really incredible. Being Texan (or better yet, a liberal Texan) is a complicated experience. You love and hate your home state with equal intensity. It's a beautiful place with so many beautiful people, and it's being ruined by greedy and heartless politicians. But we have to have hope that things will turn around eventually.
LUNA: Finally, are you guys working on anything new this year that you can share?
WHY BONNIE: We're jumping into the studio pretty much immediately after this tour. Can't wait to show y'all what we're cooking up :)
CONNECT WITH WHY BONNIE
SPOTIFY
-
weekly tunes playlist has been updated! new tracks from @furtradeband, @pecqband, @garryfool & more! check it out! https://t.co/ToFU0R6YGo
