Music Interview: Tidal Volume

Few local bands make waves quite like St. Louis “empower pop” band Tidal Volume. Opening for nationally known artists like The Plain White T’s, Jukebox The Ghost and another St. Louis favorite, Ludo, the pop rock quartet definitely deserves to be on your radar. With the release of their EP Modern Anxiety back in 2016, the band is entering the second half of 2019 with a change in line-up and new songs ready to be released this fall.

We spoke to Zach Sullentrup of Tidal Volume about the impressive career goals the band has accomplished so far and what we can expect from Tidal Volume before the year is out. Check out the full interview below.

Thanks for taking the time to answer some questions for The Young Folks! What have you guys been up to lately?

Thanks for asking! We’ve been spending most of our time recording new music and writing even newer music, along with playing shows here and there. Pretty typical band stuff.

What are you most looking forward to about playing the Shipyard Music Festival in September?

We haven’t played any other outdoor festivals this summer, so we’re mostly excited to get out there and enjoy a nice day in the sun! We’ve never played in Cape either, so that’ll be lovely. And any time we get to see or play with our pals Jukebox The Ghost is a good time.

What do you hope people take away from a Tidal Volume live performance?

These days, we mostly just hope that people have fun and connect in some way. There are a lot of reasons to not have a good time these days, so if we can give people a good time while we’re playing, that’s enough for us.

You’ve gotten the chance to open for some great artists including The Plain White T’s and Ludo, what have you taken away from those experiences?

We’ve been really lucky to open for a handful of bands we’ve looked up to for a long time. Beyond having the chance to play for a larger crowd than you might be able to draw on your own, it’s always inspiring and sobering to see how your band can fill a space right before a much more advanced band does. We’ve only had positive experiences opening.

What has been the most exciting moment for you in your career so far?

Playing two sold-out shows in one night with Ludo last fall was definitely a high point. I also remember being really excited the first time we released music and the first time I heard our music on the radio. We always talk about little wins and how good those can feel, so we try to enjoy the small things.

When can we look forward to new music from Tidal Volume?

Really soon! We’re releasing three songs this fall. We’re wrapping up the mixes now, so it won’t be long at all.

What do you think is the biggest difference between the your last release, Modern Anxiety, and what you are working on now?

Modern Anxiety came out almost three years ago. A lot has happened in our world in that time. We have two new members Evelyn (drums) and Tyler (bass), which makes this the first time we’ve recorded music without our original lineup from 2011. Our keyboard player Will moved to Colorado and back. I’m nowhere near where I was three years ago. So time has passed and things have changed, but the essence of our band is still the same. I think these songs feel a bit different, but in a good way. Change is good. But it’s still undoubtedly Tidal Volume.

According to your Facebook, you describe your genre as “Empower Pop.” Can you explain what that means?

Haha great question. We’ve always felt weird marrying our band to a genre, which has led us to be, um, creative in how we describe ourselves. “Power pop” isn’t far from what we’re doing, but ultimately, we’re trying to make music that’s empowering to people who might feel left behind by a lot of today’s music. So it doesn’t mean too much, but at the same time, it means a lot to what we’re trying to accomplish as a band.

What do you have planned for the rest of the summer?

Shows in Columbia and Cape Girardeau. Imminent new music. Probably other stuff, too. Stay tuned!

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