Written by Bridget Benevides
What better way to start of this lovely spring quarter at Seattle U than a trip downtown to The Neptune Theater! This Saturday, April 7th, Echosmith is coming to Seattle to light up the city with their dreamy pop music.
In 2013, four teenage siblings from Southern California, brought a lifelong dream to fruition with the release of their debut album Talking Dreams. As soon as they could hold instruments, they began playing music together as kids. They traded the living room for Farmers Markets and open mic nights, while quietly honing their songwriting chops. Those chops were on full-display in the breakout single “Cool Kids,” which became a runaway success. Supporting Talking Dreams, they performed around the globe and enchanted audiences everywhere. As those adventures unfolded, they grew up, both as people and musicians, and that growth shines through their 2017 sophomore album, Inside A Dream.
Echosmith grew up in a musical household playing multiple instruments throughout their childhood. The band says that a range of rock artists including Coldplay, Echo & the Bunnymen, The Smiths, U2, Joy Division, and Fleetwood Mac influenced them while growing up and encouraged them to make music together. Echosmith’s youngest member, Graham (19), plays drums. The only female member of the group, Sydney (21), is the lead vocalist for the band, often contributing on tambourine and keyboard. Noah (22) plays bass and sings backup vocals for the band. The oldest member, Jamie (25), sang and played guitar before leaving the band to be with his wife and new baby.
“We describe our new album as dreamy pop,” explains frontwoman Sydney. “These songs explore different aspects of our lives—love, adventure, heartache, and living out our dreams. On our first record, we were simply dreaming of the future, and we’re inside of that dream now. We’ve lived so much life in a short period of time. I was 15 when we recorded Talking Dreams, and now I’m 20. This amazing journey of connecting with fans and different cultures all over the world completely changed our lives.” (quotes from showboxpresents.com)
At the heart of the record, Inside a Dream, Echosmith clings to the message that drove them from the start which is their mission statement “to spread hope and love through music to the whole world.”
“Music is one of the few things that can unite people,” concludes Noah. “We hope that’s something we can be a part of.”
“We’ve really gotten to understand the depth of that mission statement,” Sydney leaves off. “We were so blessed for ‘Cool Kids’ to blow up and to see the world. We got to realize the depth of spreading love, how important it actually is, and the lack of love in the world. Our message has stayed the same, but we understand it more. We go deeper. Life is hard, but you can find the joy no matter what. That’s what we’re here to show people.”
Echosmith is coming to The Neptune Theater on Saturday, April 7th! Doors open at 7:30 pm and the show begins at 8:30 with The Score + Jena Rose. Find ticket prices and information here! Connect with the band on social media on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook or on their Official Website!
BRIDGET BENEVIDES | Now I’m shining bright | KXSU Music Reporter