lovelytheband is an alt-pop band from Los Angeles, California that skyrocketed to success after their debut single, “Broken”, rose to #1 on the Alternative Songs Chart. The band, led by Mitchy Collins, guitarist Jordan Greenwald, and drummer Sam Price, debuted “Broken” in July 2017 and released their first EP that September. Already breaking records, “Broken” is the longest running #1 song on Alternative Radio at six consecutive weeks. lovelytheband finished up playing shows with Vance Joy and ALWOLNATION and is gearing up for festivals like Lollapalooza before embarking on their “Broken Like Me Tour.” I have been a dedicated fan of their music — especially of their song “Make You Feel Pretty” — for the past few months. That being said, I was excited to have the chance to sit down with them at the Mo Pop Festival and talk about their music.
How did the formation of this band come about?
Mitchy Collins: Liquor. Alcohol. Our favorite bar in West Hollywood. Chinese food. All those things were factors in the formation of lovelytheband.
Sam Price: Liking each other at the beginning —emphasis on at the beginning.
Mitchy Collins: I met Jordan probably about two years ago now and we had a batch of songs that would now be the EP “everything I could never say.” I knew Jordan was a pretty great musician and we became fast friends. I asked him to quit his other band and join my band, and he did. With Sam, we met on Instagram. I slid into his DMs and we went to get some Chinese food. I asked him to be in the band and now we’re here.
Who are some of your musical influences?
Mitchy Collins: Definitely Bon Iver — beautiful set by him last night. I mean, everything. Life. We listen to all kinds of music. Everything from Drake to Bon Iver to Bruce Springsteen to Van Halen.
Sam Price: Hardcore.
Mitchy Collins: Well, that’s just him.
Sam Price: That’s just me.
Mitchy Collins: We listen to a lot of music. I know that’s cliche, but it’s true. We’re constantly listening to and searching for new music. We’re not like some dudes who say, “We only listen to this!” We just love music in general.
What is the inspiration behind your music?
Mitchy Collins: Life. Literally, life. Heartbreak. Just the trials and tribulations of being a human being.
Sam Price: Emphasis on heartbreak.
Mitchy Collins: Yeah, I write about a lot of stuff that I deal with that I think a lot of other people do too. Breakups, unrequited love, depression, anxiety. Just human stuff.
How would you describe the sound of your debut album?
Mitchy Collins: F*cking great. Jordan has a good saying.
Jordan Greenwald: It’s very cinematic. It has been the soundtrack of our lives for the x amount of time that we took to make it. We’re excited to get it out so it could be the soundtrack of everyone else’s lives too.
Mitchy Collins: It’s very lovelytheband and like the EP. You were knocking on our front door, and now the full-length [album] is us inviting you in for dinner. We’re just psyched to get it out into the world and let people have their take on it. It comes out [August 3rd].
Sam Price: It’s mind boggling.
Mitchy Collins: Mind bottling — It puts your mind in a bottle.
What excites you about performing on the Mo Pop stage and being a part of this festival?
Mitchy Collins: Mo Pop’s been awesome. We were able to come last night to see Bon Iver and he’s one of our favorite artists. He played “Blood Bank” and he’s never played that live when I’ve seen him. It’s my favorite song by him — I love the lyrics and I was losing my mind. I was also born here in Michigan, so every time we play here, it’s really special for me. I didn’t live here long, but there’s just something about being back to where you were birthed. My first day on Earth was in Michigan. It was just great playing for new people and fans — people who haven’t seen us before.
Sam Price: Getting to hang, meet new artists and listen to dope musicians.
Mitchy Collins: Mo Pop’s been great. We hope to be back.
What can fans expect when seeing one of your performances?
Jordan Greenwald: I almost fell today, so maybe falling?
Mitchy Collins: High energy.
Jordan Greenwald: Yeah, we like to go for it. Some singing, some dancing.
Mitchy Collins: If you’ve ever thought about what Greek rock gods would look like, that’s the general vibe we omit.
Jordan Greenwald: Except in different pants.
Mitchy Collins: Like Greek rock gods with dad bods.
Jordan Greenwald: In different types of pants.
Sam Price: And really not as good looking as you would imagine a Greek god would look.
Jordan Greenwald: But really, we’re trying. We’re doing our best.
Your song Broken has been seeing massive success on the Alternative and mainstream charts. What’s the story of that song and why do you think the song resonates with so many people?
Mitchy Collins: So when I was writing the song, I never really knew what it was about. I never know what I’m writing about until it’s done. I thought I was like painting this picture of a story of guy meets girl or girl meets girl or whatever. Person meets person. Guy meets guy — whatever it is. In reality, looking back on it, it was really introspective for me because at that time, it was a really low point in my life. I was very lost and confused and broke. I was self-medicating very heavily and it was just a bad overall time for me. That song that came of it, luckily it birthed something beautiful. It just ended up being a song about realizing that it’s — I say it all the time — it’s okay to not be okay. Everyone has their bad days, and everyone has their problems. Everyone has the stuff that they deal with that they don’t like about themselves or wish they could change. It’s just about embracing the person that you are and realizing that you’re magical despite of it all. It’s about realizing that no matter your flaws, there’s someone out there that loves you and people out there that care about you.
What has been the highlight of touring so far?
Mitchy Collins: I’m getting to see new cities.
Sam Price: Getting lovelytheband in front of more faces.
Mitchy Collins: Touring has been exciting because we’re a new band. We’ve only been a band for two years, so a lot of these cities we’re hitting for the first time. The shows keep getting bigger and better. Last time we played in Michigan, it was like 75 people in a little club called “The Loving Touch” in Ferndale. Now we just played to a few thousand here at Mo Pop. It was crazy — we never know what to expect.
You’ve been touring with a lot of great alternative artists. What would be your dream collaboration?
Mitchy Collins: Drake. Bruce Springsteen. Bon Iver.
Jordan Greenwald: Frank Ocean.
Mitchy Collins: Yeah, Frank Ocean.
Your band has garnered a lot of success pretty quickly. What advice would you give to musicians just starting out?
Jordan Greenwald: Persistence is a very big thing.
Mitchy Collins: Yeah, persistence. The biggest thing I could say is what I say to everybody that asks me this question. Focus on the songs. Make sure the songs are there. Everything else falls into place after that. Don’t worry about how cool you look or the internet or whatever. Literally don’t focus on anything else. Focus on the songs and the songwriting. Be honest. Be vulnerable. Do what you love. Don’t try to chase anything. Chase what you love. Chase what you feel. Everything else comes after that, but don’t try to be somebody you’re not.
Sam Price: Collaborate. Collaborate with people, find friends, and try to make music together. Make the best music you can and be honest with yourself.
What can fans expect from your music in the future?
Mitchy Collins: We don’t even know the answer to that question. We’re focused on the music we’re putting out in five days, so we’ll figure out the rest after that.
Jordan Greenwald: Listen to the album.
Mitchy Collins: Buy the record!
Cover Image Photo Credit: Trevor Dernai
