Stemming from Utah’s eclectic music scene (much like Neon Trees, Imagine Dragons, and The Used) Spirit City is proving to be a promising band. The indie pop rock group is expected to release its EP, We’re All Insane, later this September. Filled with dynamic rhythms, satirical lyrics, and catchy hooks, this EP is a must-listen-to. Beyond The Stage had the chance to sit down with Cori Place (bass guitar) to discuss the band’s musical and artistic direction and what politics has to do with their new single, “We’re All Insane.”
Beyond The Stage: I noticed your twitter bio says “Music. Love. Hope” and your other social media shows you want to stand for more than just music. What message are you hoping to get across through the art you create?
Cori: The “Music. Love. Hope.” comes from a song we wrote called “We Are The Ones.” We just go through phases in our lives – me and the lead singer were going through tough times – that song is just about coming together, as a community or as friends, to get through tough things in life. He and I did that in music and that’s how Spirit City started.
BTS: Is that the mentality for future releases, as well?
Cori: Absolutely. The songs we’re releasing in the fall… we wanted to tackle subjects in our own way. “We’re All Insane” encapsulates who we are as people: a little bit quirky and fun, yet it has serious undertones.
BTS: Yeah (about “We’re All Insane”) I noticed that…. I thought it was interesting you chose that as your first single because no one tends to comment on those heavier topics.
Cori: Exactly! It’s about the current presidential election and how ridiculous we feel both candidates are. How politics can be a little screwy… we’re poking fun at the whole thing. It’s like, “Hey, let’s just write things we care about and not make it systematic.”
BTS: And how have you managed to do that?
Cori: When we started writing each song, we started from a different spot – one of them started with a click track and we picked a tempo and wrote from there. For others, we wrote independently from each other. Some started with lyrics, others with melody. We want to write an EP where every song is different and every song has it’s own voice and space.
BTS: I noticed you guys opened for Third Eye Blind earlier this year, which is insane! Tell me about that experience.
Cori: Total bucket list show, for sure. Third Eye Blind’s been our favorite band and has been a huge influence in how we think about music. It was really great. We got a call to open for them to close out Sundance and their crowd was very receptive to what we do.
BTS: That’s incredible. Do you guys have more shows lined up, then?
Cori: We plan to head out in the fall – probably just West Coast stuff. Vegas and California and Utah. Nothing is set in stone, but we’d love to get out to the East Coast sometime soon.
BTS: Speaking of touring, if you could pick a few bands to tour with on a “dream” tour, who would you choose?
Cori: Speaking for myself, just people doing awesome stuff right now. Like twenty one pilots would be sick, even though our styles are a little different. Third Eye Blind would be cool and really anyone who would have us; anyone who takes their music seriously and has a good time!
BTS: Any message for Beyond The Stage readers?
Cori: Check out our music! We put our heart and soul and everything we have into it. We love it, we’re fans of it, we hope it reaches as many people as it can. We have another single coming out with a music video that we’re super proud of – it’s a bit satirical and funny and light-hearted. So keep a lookout for the stuff we release!
Stream “We’re All Insane” HERE and make sure to check out Spirit City’s social media for more information:
- Today in Music History: April 7 - April 7, 2023
- EP Review: Michigander’s It Will Never Be The Same - March 31, 2023
- Deep Dive: Spotify’s ALT NOW Playlist - March 30, 2023
