After two years on break, East Coast based band The Ballroom Thieves are back on tour, promoting their upcoming album “Clouds.”
The Ballroom Thieves come from New England and have been making music for 11 years. Martin Earley and Calin Peters are the lead singers of this folk rock duo.
The band kicked off their spring tour in Denver, Colorado on April 14. Since then, they have had seven shows and are set to play today, April 27, at The Lodge Room in Los Angeles and tomorrow, April 28, in San Diego at the House of Blues.
Before the pandemic they were touring for their previous album, “Unlovely.” Earley expressed how he’s missed the tour life, not just performing in front of people but also some of the mundane things like the long drives between venues or just hanging out as a band together.
“We were touring our previous album and then everything kind of went to shit,” Earley said. “So it’s a pleasure and a privilege to be back out here especially on the West Coast. We have been stuck out in our homes out on the East Coast so it’s nice to leave the nest.”
Their new album Clouds is set to release July 15 and is different from their previous albums. This album can be seen as a breakaway point from their other albums; not only did they change their band structure but also the recording process.
The album still has their folk sound but at the same time introduces a new sound, melodic bedroom pop.
“The whole thing was pretty much written during the pandemic. So there are a lot of different themes on it ranging from global warming, being stuck at home and missing the road, missing traveling, all the way to learning to live with your mental illness. Learning to live with anxiety and depression,” Earley said. “And there’s a song about Harry Styles!”
In this album, they focused on their recording process, but with previous albums, they would record then go back and add other elements. Clouds allowed them to focus on being a band together in the room. They wanted the audience to feel like they were in the room while it was being recorded and provide more of a live performance feel.
During the pandemic, their longtime drummer left the band. They used to be a trio that would focus on “three part harmonies.” Due to the drummer leaving they moved away from how they used to structure their songs.
“The band has kind of shifted a little bit but from a song writing perspective a lot of things have stayed similar. It’s still Calin and I that write the songs,” said Earley. “We are just kind of narrowing down who we are as a band and trying to evolve appropriately.”
One of their latest singles is a song about Harry Styles and can be found on all streaming platforms. They decided to write a song about Styles because they feel he’s a role model that is needed right now, especially for young men.
“He’s the polar opposite of toxic masculinity. He’s very masculine but not toxic at all. We feel that’s something to aspire for especially for young men right now,” said Earley. “But on a more personal note, Calin and I are in love with him and just want to be him. So we thought a tribute to him was more than appropriate.”
A year from now, the band hopes the pandemic is impacting their job less. As of right now, if someone in the band gets COVID-19 they will have to cancel their shows and possibly their tour which impacts their livelihood.
“As a band it’s been especially difficult because we have to operate in a very strict manner because, if anyone in the touring party gets COVID then the rest of the tour will be canceled,” said Earley. “We will lose out on not just the money. [But] being able to tour, being able to play these shows and see these people all over the country.”
On a personal note, in September Earley and Peters are set to get married and cannot wait to continue living their lives together moving forward into a “better and brighter future.”
Tickets to their show at The Lodge Room are $25 and tickets to their House of Blues show are $20.