Episode 68: HARBOUR: Warm Infectious Summer Sounds

Today on the podcast we are featuring the Cincinnati, Ohio-based group HARBOUR. Learn more about them and listen to their track “Sleepyhead.”

WARNING: This podcast contains explicit content which might be unsuitable for some listeners. Listener discretion is advised.

Show Notes and Full Transcript

Hey everyone welcome to the Eat Sleep Breathe Music podcast. I am your host Jeanette Kimszal. For those of you just joining us, this is the podcast where I talk about different musicians and how their music affects me and then play I track of theirs for you to listen to.

So you can check it out and form your own opinion as well. And if you are so interested in sharing your thoughts on this track and the artist I’ll have details at the end of the show where you can leave your comments.

So it’s been awhile since I had podcasted. I think the last episode I did was back in February. 

I can’t believe  month flew by. Again I think I just get bogged down with stuff. In addition to the podcasting I run a couple different websites. 

I’ve been really busy with my food blog. So if anybody out there is interested in vegetable recipes (laughing)

You can check out my food blog at The Radiant Root. Yeah, I’ve been meaning to podcast. I don’t know what happened.

I got so inundated with things that it just fell to the waistside which I’m kind of upset about and is a bummer.

I think I just need to make more time for the podcasting.

And today I’m actually trying out video podcasting. So we’ll if I like doing this maybe I’ll make it more of a habit. 

I’m not really used to being on camera. So it’s kind of weird for me. I don’t know where to look (laughing) ah yeah.

I don’t know. It’s kind of an odd thing. So I’m gonna see how it goes. See if I like it. Maybe I’ll try it and continue to do it. 

And if not I’ll just go back to audio podcasting (laughing).

But yeah, that’s where I’ve been for the last month. I’m hoping that I can continue to do more podcasting.

I’m getting really excited because it’s starting to be spring. 

And we’re getting lots of concerts coming down the pike. 

May is gonna be a very excitng month. Uh there’s so many concerts in May alone.

I think there is a concert like almost every week. The first week there’s Rivals 

and their playing in Philly and New York.

Then the next week after that I’m going to see The Interrupters in Asbury Park which is really exciting.

I think that is one of the first shows maybe at the outside summer stage. I hope it’s warm.

I know sometimes May can be hit or miss especially at the beach. 

And then the week after that I don’t think there is anything after that.

But then the weekend after that is the Adjacent festival which I’m still kind of on the fence about going.

I think if anything I might just go on Sunday because I really would like to see Blink182 and The Front Bottoms. And they are both playing on Sunday.

Yeah, so May is just very busy and I’m hoping that we can do as much as we want to do.

It’s just..yeah..I haven’t planned any vacations. It’s just going to concerts. That’s all that we do (laughing).

But I guess, you know it’s the same thing. Uh, yeah, so it’s been busy and I’m excited for the spring.

I also need to more of a deep dive into what’s like happening like locally with the shows. 

Cause I know there so many great venues in the area. 

Uh, yeah, I’m just kind of excited for the music coming down the pike and if there are any shows you guys are interested in seeing I’d love to hear like what you’re seeing.

Yeah, so that’s basically where I’ve been for the last month. 

But with that being said now I will kind of dive into the show.

So today on the show I am chatting about Cincinnati, Ohio-based group HARBOUR and their track “SLEEPYHEAD.” 

HARBOUR is spelled in the English style with the O-U-R instead of the O-R. Though, unlike the spelling, the band hails from the states.

Cincinnati Ohio to be exact. According to an interview online at Ease Up Magazine, the band started back in 2014 with guitarist and vocalist Ryan Green at the helm playing with high school friends. 

As time when on and people started getting married members left to get married and have babies Green forged on and found new people to play music with saying he “stole guys from friends’ bands” and from there the band was born. 

Today Green is actually the only remaining original member. The rest of the band…there are 4 other people in the band is made up of guitarist Jarett Lewis, drummer Ryan Sulken, bassist Walker Atkinson, and guitarist Devon Turner. And please forgive me if I am pronouncing any of these names incorrectly.

Since forming the band back in 2014 the band has put out quite a bit of music. They had according to their Bandcamp page there was some music on there from an earlier time and other stuff on the Amazon streaming page that I saw.

It looks like they had put out 2 singles, 1 EP, and maybe 4 albums. They had a self-titled release in 2015. They had another album called With Love. Another album was called Heatwave in 2017, Then in 2019, they had an album called Thoughts On Letting Go. Then this past February 2023 they also put out the 10-track called To Chase My Dreams, Or To Just Lie Down?”

And that is where this track that I’ll be playing later is from.

So from the onset of its inception, the band has carved out a name for themself within the Cincinnati music scene.

It was kind of like they were getting this buzz around Ohio and Cincinnati. So they basically decided they wanted to start touring so they kind of kicked off this tour and I think that last year or 2022 alone they did like three US tours.

So the combination of their relentless touring ethic along with their entertaining live set has really propelled this buzz the band has been getting and they have been selling out shows all over the nation. 

So they are really kind of getting this whole momentum going and I think it’s really attributed to their music.

I haven’t seen them live but if their playing is translated live it would be a really great time and it seems like it would be a really fun show.

The music they have been making has been described as having indie rock and pop influences. 

I always like to listen to music…older music from the band before I listen to the newer track to just kind of see like where they were or where they are.

And that was something I did with HARBOUR. I loved just seeing how it compares to where they’ve come from.

If there is something else out there I would like to listen to. Cause that’s the best thing too. You go to listen to old music and you are like “oh this is so great.” You can just discover new stuff and it’s just really exciting.

So I did listen to some of their older stuff and I really did quite enjoy the tracks on there on their debut as well as their EP entitled With Love.

I didn’t listen to too much cause I just didn’t want to get…You ever listen to a lot of music and then you feel like you’re getting confused…not confused but you’re just like inundated with like all these different sounds. 

So I was kind of just sticking to like a little bit of stuff and you know I found that their music did range from like more poppy and guitar-heavy stuff with the older music.

It did have some like hip hoppy vibes. There was one song that kind of really reminded me of The Dirty Heads a little bit. But not…without the rapping part.

But I thought that was interesting and I did enjoy the stuff that I did listen to that was their older tracks.

So I would recommend that if you do like this song definitely go back and listen to some of their older stuff too cause a lot of it’ ‘s all on streaming.

The other thing that is cool about listening to older music from the artist is you can hear the progression of their sound.

And this…the musical progression for HARBOUR shows they have a wide spectrum of sounds with a very large breadth of musical talent.

I was just taken aback to listening to how you know their older music sounded in relation to their newer music.

The song “Sleepyhead” in particular which I’ll be playing today is off their latest release “To Chase My Dreams, Or To Just Lie Down?” as I said which came out last month. Which was February 2023.

And I really found their music is super infectious and super feel-good. With the summer coming this is the perfect soundtrack for those warm days. Or if you just need some music to warm you up this is the band for that.

So even it could be like a cold day and you’re like “I need some music to warm up to.” I would say this particular song and a lot of songs on the new album really have that summer beachy vibe. That just kind of warms your heart and warms your body.

It’s just a, just a nice vibe that it has.

In addition to that feel-good summery vibe “Sleepyhead” is also the perfect opening track for this album. It really hooks in the listener and I think it’s because they start off with these really catchy guitar riffs within 1 second into the track. 

It’s like this “do-do-do” (imitating guitar riffs)

And the band also doesn’t waste any time with the vocals. They just jump in there 2 or 3 seconds in. So it’s like you hear the guitar riffs starting and then the vocals they just kind of pair so wonderfully with the guitar chords.

It just kind of merges and then the drumbeats start and there’s just something about the whole kind of combination of it that just really just makes for a really good opening track. 

You hear the guitar riffs and then you hear the vocals. of the song, you get these up-and-down guitar chords that merge perfectly. Then the drum beats start and there is something about the whole combination of it that makes like for a really good opening track that gets the listener like hooked in.

And you’re like, “alright I’m…I’m digging this song, I’m digging this song and I want to hear what’s next on the rest of the album. 

So I think it was a really great choice on the part of the band to have “Sleepyhead” open the album.

There also is something about the self-deprecating lyrics that are really enticing. At least to me. Maybe it’s because I have felt like this at times in my life (laughing).

They are contemplative not so much really introspective but more like ruminating. It’s that feeling of being stuck and depressed.

Just feeling like you don’t know what to do and maybe you want to give up and lie down. But I think like…that is something that people can relate to. They would enjoy that. 

Feeling like I am not good enough. Or you are taking on more than you can handle. And you suck at life. You know?

Some may say this is negative and not something to dwell on but it also is nice to know that how people are feeling about these things.

You know if someone is out there who is feeling the same way they can relate to the song.

And that’s…that’s really positive. It’s positive because that is life. Getting stuck and feeling frustrated or depressed is all a part of life.

And I think it’s really a take on that analysis paralysis feeling that can happen in life which makes us question our worth and whether or not we are meeting our goals. And if we should just give up or keep going.

And you know just wanting to kind of stay at home and not be bothered by anything. And as someone, I would say with more of an anti-social personality I can definitely relate to the lyrics. Especially the part that is like:

Hate to leave the house now / When I do I try to figure out how /To get back home

And you know I think there is this feeling of wanting to go do things but you are just so bogged down with the things you are trying to like accomplish that you don’t really…you can’t see past those things.

And it’s all in your mind that your just kind of focusing on all this stuff that you’re trying to get done but it’s not working and it can take over your life and it’s very frustrating.

And I think that a lot of people can relate to that feeling.

Or that whole thing of being tired but not being able to sleep. And you know your mind is taking over and you can’t like stop your thoughts from racing through your head.

I hear that in the lyrics 

I can’t close my /Baby blue eyes /Yeah, my thoughts run wild /And this time they’re not /And I can’t /Take my own advice

So you know, I think that a lot of people can definitely relate to all of this and will like the song. 

And it’s just, just a nice outlet for someone who may be struggling with any kind of you know, personal problems or they feel like they are not meeting their goals. It’s just a.. nice thing to kind of look to.

Another thing that I do like about the track is there who positive music vibe to it too. So it is not just like these downtrodden lyrics but there is also a nice juxtaposition of the light and energetic and very vibrant melodies verse that darkness that is also, unfortunately, life at times you know. Life can be very dark and it can be depressing (laughing).

So it’s nice to have that kind of combination because that is life too. Life can be very you know, positive and beautiful and filled with life and energy but it can also be dark and depressing.

And…and you know I think it’s a nice balance because you can kind of see the good in life even though you’re struggling still. 

So I think it’s a really nice message between the music and lyrics coming together. So there is you know there is..and that is what I like about the song is the optimism in the music.

It is that upbeat, happy, poppy vibe. That indie rock, you know that indie rock dancy kind of like energy of the music. 

And that is a good dichotomy to like the

downtrodden ruminating depressing, not depressing lyrics, but more like realistic lyrics. Because they are realistic and…it’s reality, it’s life.

You know? We set out to do things and sometimes we don’t get the things we want to get done. And it can be very frustrating and it can make you want to lie down and not do anything.

But I think there’s that, you know? Optimism and hopefulness in the music that really creates a nice balance and just a…just a nice song overall.

So overall, they have really curated this infectious indie, rock/pop soundtrack that’s just…at least…I really found enjoyable

And if you’re someone who doesn’t listen to lyrics you can probably get a lot out of this song because it’s…it’s you know? It has that nice guitar, drum, and bass licks that are enjoyable.

So if you are someone who doesn’t…I mean I didn’t listen to the lyrics before doing this podcast (laughing). 

I was a very superficial music listener. I would kind of just listen to the music…sometimes I would know the words, but you know you’re not really thinking about the lyrics and what they mean and I think it’s…it’s cool when there is that combination of kind of adding a layer to the song making it more meaningful.

But if you are someone who wants to just listen to the music and just enjoy the music. You can enjoy the music without anything additional…but either way you listen there is no wrong way to listen.

The other thing I want to mention is I really, really like the last part of the song. The where the refrain kind of kicks in and it switched to almost like another sound and kind of resolves the song but then again it doesn’t

Because you are left with like that tension of this unresolved like, thought or like not being able to get things done.

So, so it’s kind of a…it’s a nice kind of combination and it kind of adds another layer to the song.

But you know this is good because as I said that is how life is sometimes and sometimes things aren’t always wrapped up with a neat bow.

I mean that really only happens on television. And things are messy and take time to figure out. And I think that is a really great message that the uh song conveys. 

Is that..you know? It’s gonna be hard but you know? You can work through things and try different things and see what things happen.

And I think that also comes through in the name of the album as well. With the title “To Chase My Dreams, Or To Just Lie Down?” This song really exemplifies that struggle. 

And it is a struggle and sometimes it’s easy to just lie down. But you know, I guess the nice thing about continuing to chase your dreams and struggle. You know, when you finally meet your goals it…it is a really powerful thing and it can make you feel really good.

So you know, maybe that is the bonus of kind of continuing on and I think as musicians and content creators, anyone who is putting something out there for people to see or you know you’re creating something.

You…you always have that need or feel that need to create something great. And there’s also, you know, there could be that nagging feeling, of “what am I even doing? Am I meeting my goals? is anything even happening? Like, am I even reaching anyone?”

Like even with this podcast I’m like, “does anyone even listen? Does anyone even care (laughing)?”

I mean in a way like I feel like if someone can find beauty or like enjoy the music that I am sharing like that is just very exciting to me. And it’s also like I think…I like the whole like putting something out there and kind of creating things.

Uhm yeah, but I mean I feel like this a lot as a…as a podcast creator, as a blogger, you know I run a website and you always wonder like “what? What am I doing? Is it worth anything? Should I just give up?”

But…but then sometimes things happen and it makes you feel like “oh wow. I am doing something cool and it’s fun to see something you created. Out there.”

And I think that is the neat thing about the internet now. So many people can make something out of nothing. And it’s really…just really a neat time and this song kind of signifies so much of that.

And it’s really kind of awesome.

So If you’re wondering how HARBOUR sounds, they have been described as falling into the indie/rock genre with influences from bands like Hippo Campus, COIN, and Cage The Elephant, Victory, and Kings of Leon.

This song in particular to me I can kind of hear a Kings of Leon influence. I also get a Vampire Weekend vibe. 

And I think it could be from the distinct and unique lyrics of Green. You know, he has a sultry, twang, not really southern but like this interesting accent and I have never heard him speak so I don’t know if it’s an accent that translates through to his regular speaking voice or just like a singing kind of accent. 

But I don’t know if like this is a typical Ohio accent. I don’t really know anyone from Ohio (laughing) so I don’t know if that is the case.

But it is a very interesting and kind of like distinct vocal styling that…and I think that also kind of like definitely adds to my interest and kind of like intrigue with this song. 

You know, the first time I heard it I was like “oh, these vocals are really cool and very different.”

And..uh…yeah. I think also another band, uh they have been compared to is Walk the Moon and Hamilton. And I haven’t heard Coin or Hamilton but I put this song on in the car the other day and my husband had…said “oh this reminds me of Walk the Moon” when I was playing the music when I was kind of…just kind of researching and doing work for this podcast.

So you know, I think there is like that Walk the Moon-esque vibe in a lot of the tracks in…it definitely has that like you know, feel good, dance party, like I just wanna dance and have a fun vibe. Very summer, summertime feeling uh, goodness up wrapped up in the song.

So, uh, yeah, It’s definitely something I really enjoy. And HARBOUR’s talents have also been 

HARBOUR’s talents have also been taking the internet by storm with features in outlets like CincyMusic, CityBeat, Broadway World, Rock the Pigeon, Ease Up Magazine, HazzeMedia (I’m not sure if it is Hazze or Haze. It’s H-A-Z-Z-E-M-E-D-I-A), All Punked Up, Melodic Magazine, and I Am Tuned Up.

And I can leave links to these in the show notes if you want to check out what other outlets have said about the band.

So If you like what HARBOUR has to offer they will be playing the LAUNCH Music Conference & Festival on Friday, April 15th in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

So if you’re in the area and want to check them out that is something to do.

And I also saw the band is doing a giveaway on their LInkTree page which can be found on their socials. And I can leave a link to this in the show notes.

But it looks to be really great contest. So the first prize will get 

• 1 album merch bundle which includes a signed drum head1 signed
• Limited edition pressing of their latest album “To Chase My Dreams, or to Just Lie Down?” on vinyl
• (2) guest spots on a future show of your choice in 2023. 

So that’s a really cool offer. So if you wanna uhm sign up for that contest it looks like there were still about 37 days to enter when I recorded this podcast at the end of March.

I can leave links to that in the show notes if you want to sign up for that as well.

And with all that being said enough of me chatting now without further ado, here is “Sleepyhead” by HARBOUR.

[Plays “Sleepyhead”]

We would love the know what you think about HARBOUR and their track Sleepyhead.” You can tell us in a comment on the podcast webpage. You can also leave an audio comment at the link on our Spotify page.

If you want to listen to more of their music you can find it streaming on most platforms Amazon, Bandcamp, and other streaming services.

For more information on HARBOUR, you can check out their official website.

That is H-A-R-B-O-U-R-T-H-E-B-A-N-D dot com.

You can also like and follow them on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Twitter at the handle HarbourTheBand.

That is H-A-R-B-O-U-R-T-H-E-B-A-N-D

If you’re looking for more new music be sure to subscribe to our podcast so you will get the latest updates on our artist features. 

You can also find more music features on our website at www.EatSleepBreatheMusic.com. That is E-a-t-S-l-e-e-p-B-r-e-a-t-h-e-M-u-s-i-c dot com.

Thanks for listening and see you in the next episode!

More Podcast Episodes

If you’re interested in finding new music please check out our other podcast episodes.