Not so 'naive': California-based benches set to bring headlining tour to Launchpad
May 11—Whenever getting ready for a big tour, Evan Ojeda tries to take it day by day.
"There's so much happening in the world, that I can't think about everything," Ojeda says. "When you're on tour, it's the same thing. It's about focusing on the next show and being present for it all. If I begin to think about the last show, then I'm missing out on everything else."
Ojeda is the lead guitarist for the Southern California-based band benches.
He is joined in the group by Anson Kelley, Ethan Bowers and Charlie Baird.
The band will perform at Launchpad at 8 p.m. Monday, May 13.
Ojeda and crew also released its current single, "Naive" on Feb. 28.
"That song came out of a jam about a year ago," he says. "It went through a bunch of different phases. The feeling is still there."
Ojeda says benches is reminiscent of both the ceremonious majesty of '90s Britpop and the insouciance of 2000s New York rock, as the band's heart is rooted in defining the sound of bittersweet: A blend of joy and sadness, wrapped up into infectious indie rock.
He says the songs celebrate the naïveté of youth, and the excitement and worries that come with getting older.
Kelley frequently draws inspiration from the travails of navigating a society where norms are exploded daily, and the chaotic backdrop is full of hurdles to your sanity — from evolving technology to fragmenting social relationships.
Following the success of earlier singles such as "Angry Lizard Noise" and "Monodrama," benches worked with Grammy-nominated producer Martin Cooke on increasingly complex and nuanced songs, resulting in the release of three tracks in 2022, including the standout "Violent."
The band has played with notable acts such as Foster The People, Dave Keuning, and Louis XIV.
Ojeda says the majority of the songs come from daily jamming.
"There are some songs that come from demos," he says. "One of us will craft it and then we bring it to the band and another will like it. There are a lot of different approaches to getting songs. The one standing rule is that we try to make sure that each one of us is happy with their part."
When it comes to creating a set list, benches takes the time to listen to the fans.
"After each show, we will go out and meet the audience," he says. "We have conversations with them and take notes on what they say. Everyone has their favorite song and we would love to play each one of our songs. That would make for a long set, so we have to be intentional about how we put together a set. Currently, we've been opening for another artist. With that kind of set, we try to pick the songs that will sell ourselves to an audience that doesn't really know us."
