The Eaves Band, based in Buffalo, is comprised of Adam Clukey, Chris Couche, and Maurice Halliday. They’ve been friends since childhood and reconnected after a couple of years after, following going to different colleges, according to Couche.
In late 2018, The Eaves debut record Learning to Live in the Dark was produced by GRAMMY Award-winner, Ted Hunt, whose worked with other bands including The Gaslight Anthem, Lucero, and Dropkick Murphys. Fast forward to 2022, their upcoming album Lately, I Don’t Have a God…and Other Obvious Epiphanies was recorded in collaboration with artist Jay Zubricky and features a production from bassist and vocalist of the Goo Goo Dolls, Robby Takac.
“‘It’ll Be Okay’ was the last song we wrote for the record”, the band’s Chris Couche said. He explained that the track “is meant to be earnest, reassuring catharsis – direct, unashamed, and unadulterated.” The new video for the track is available for streaming on New Noise and DSPs.
Read more of NYS Music’s interview with The Eaves’ Chris Couche.
Heather Occhino: What made you guys decide to form a band?
Chris Couche: The three of us (Mo, Adam, and I) grew up together. We all had similar musical interests and played in bands together. We sort of went our separate ways during college and reconnected a couple years after. We caught up quick and realized that our shared music taste had evolved similarly, so we decided to start writing together and see if anything came of it.
HO: Are there any artists or bands who inspired you to pursue a career in music?
CC: We’re inspired by a ton of artists, but honestly, the first band that ever inspired to me to pick up a guitar and write was Blink-182. I was 11 or 12. I could barely play (still can’t), but the true power of blink is their accessibility and lack of pretense. As a 12 year old, those three power chords were ACCESSIBLE. They were the way in.
It would take a little longer, but the real revelation I needed to push me over the edge was seeing Bruce Springsteen live for the first time. Totally changed everything for me. My entire perception of music and what it could do was instantly upended. It was a surreal and borderline religious experience on a personal level. I know lately even Bruce himself has been trying to dismantle his mythic stature a little bit, or at least trying to temper unrealistic expectations and create some separation between persona and actual, fallible human being. The persona may be fictitious, but the euphoric result of that group sharing their talent and passion with a crowd of equally passionate participants is very, very real. It was after seeing Bruce that I realized I needed to make music a priority in my life.
HO: After reading an article on your music that was released by Earshot Media on Mad Mimi, I saw that your debut single, “It’ll Be Okay” is part of your upcoming album, Lately, I Don’t Have a God… and Other Obvious Epiphanies. What makes this track stand out from the other songs part of the debut album, despite it being the last song?
CC: “It’ll Be Okay” may be the only truly reassuring song we have. It only talks about the sun exploding ONCE. But really, we were at a point where it was kind of bothering me that even when I would try to write lyrics that were reassuring or positive, I would almost inevitably gravitate toward negative feelings, mostly because I’ve found it’s difficult to write something reassuring that feels like it has any genuine sentiment behind it. That likely says more about me than it does anything else, and uncoincidentally, is sort of thematic through-line that most of the album wrestles with. But “It’ll Be Okay” is our earnest attempt at surrendering to sincerity and opening up to catharsis. Sometimes cheesy is cool, clichés are cliché for a reason, and it’s okay to feel good.
From an instrumental perspective, Kyle Resnick lent his celestial horns for the chorus, which are maybe the most identifiable trait of the song overall, and really set the track aside sonically from some of the other songs on the record. We’re all big fans of The National, so working with Kyle was a surreal experience. He’s also the nicest, most down to earth person you’ll meet, and of course generous with his talent. If I was that good at something, you’d need a draw bridge to get to me.
HO: The recording and production of the album was assisted by established people in the music industry, like Robby Takac of the Goo Goo Dolls and Kyle Resnick, who worked with the band, The National, and also featured on Taylor Swift’s album Folklore. Are you planning on working with these people again for future debut projects?
CC: If they’ll have us after reading this! We’re very fortunate and grateful to have had the opportunity to work with all the people who helped make this record. Jay Zubricky mixed and engineered the album at GCR Audio and helped introduce us to Robby Takac. Having grown up in Buffalo, getting a chance to work with Robby was a pinch me moment. The project started in 2019 with Robby and a couple songs and ended with an album in 2022, with Jay there every step of the way (with the pandemic, logistics prevented us from working with Robby on more of the record). Finally, I have to mention Stu McKillop who mastered the record at Rain City Mastering. He really flipped the switch and brought the creature to life.
HO: I also saw that you guys have shared the stage with other rock bands, such as The Joy Formidable and The Lawrence Arms. Would you be able to share when your group is planning on performing next with other musicians?
CC: Early 2023! Follow The Eaves Band for updates!
