Festive People

Provo, Utah's Festive People are known for their iridescent, welcoming, and celebratory—yet also occasionally melancholic—take on synthpop/rock splendor. Self-described as "a blend of your mom's groovy '70s tunes and your dad's favorite Pink Floyd tracks", the group's first two EPs (2015's Festive People and 2016's Parade) stood as brief but substantial demonstrations of the band's skill at meshing engaging songwriting and exhilarating instrumentation. Fortunately, their upcoming debut LP, In the Black, fulfills and expands upon those initial promises by offering an impeccably arranged collection of jubilantly lustrous, affective, and catchy tracks that every fan of the style should adore.

Comprised of John Lane (vocals/rhythm guitar), Dillon Boss (bass), Cameron Faerber (synth), Brennan Tolman (drums), and Skylar Hansen (lead guitar), Festive People's emotive exuberance has already earned them a sizable following, several glowing critical appraisals, and appearances as notable events like Colorado's Mountain Air Music Series, Provo's Rooftop Concert Series, Stadium of Fire, and the Timpanogos Music Festival. Of course, they've had plenty of time to refine their artistry since Parade came out; in fact, they regard In the Black as "represent[ing] the transition from the complacent to the challenging". They continue:

We departed from our old comfortable sound in search of something more authentic and outside our comfort zone. Lyrically, this album digs deeper than anything we've written before, exposing the shortcomings of relationships between lovers, siblings, fans, and self. We took ten days to produce and record this record in a remote cabin in the hills of Southern Utah. For that week and a half, every ounce of our focus and energy was spent creating a collection of songs we couldn't be more proud of.

Every song on the LP shows a logical and ambitious progression from their earlier sequences. Although tracks like opener "Boxcar", "Behave", and "Lover, Not a Friend" maintain Festive People's knack for energetic and dense pop gems, other pieces reveal marked shifts in tone and/or timbres. For instance, "Spin My Eyes" is a somber acoustic guitar ballad (with dreamy electronic accentuation) at its core, whereas "Mesmerized" matches the silky hooks of Death Cab for Cutie with the glittery charm of Portugal. The Man and Cage the Elephant. Later, "Hostage" actually infuses a bit of 1980s Michael Jackson-esque beats into its multifaceted aural collage, while the title track feels like a sparser and slower B-side from Sufjan Stevens' The Age of Adz (in all the best ways).

Check out a full stream of In the Black below and be sure to grab a copy when it releases on 3 August. - Pop Matters

This Provo, Utah-based band is as rocking as your mom's old records, taking inspiration from the past to propel rock music into the future. This is their first full-length release after playing a slew of notable festivals. Be prepared for something the whole family can love. - Pop Dust

We’re pleased to bring you the premiere of Festive People’s new song “Spin My Eyes” (listen below). The track is taken from the band’s forthcoming album In the Black, which is scheduled to be released on August 3, 2018. You can pre-order the album through iTunes here.

“Spin My Eyes” is a drifting, poetic track that has elements of the gentle side of Animal Collective and The Flaming Lips. John Lane’s vocals sit atop warm synths and glistening guitars while the track stays punchy courtesy of a locked tight rhythm section.

John Lane of Festive People commented on the song:

"‘Spin My Eyes’ is about living through life knowing you’ve deeply and irreparably hurt someone. You want to detach from everything and feel nothing so you can make it through the day without that looming regret making its way back into your mind. I love spinning in an office chair and the subsequent feeling of being dizzy because it captivates almost every sense I have. For a minute, the centripetal force flings all of my regrets away and I can breathe easy.” - New Noise

Utah psychedelic indie band Festive People released their latest track “Pumice.” Detailing the parallel relationship between love and erupting volcanoes, “Pumice” drips with ’70s disco and driving rock. The single is from the band’s upcoming album In The Black, out Aug. 3. - Alt Press

Who: Remember The Romantics? Festive People are bringing back all their flair and combining it with today’s coolest indie sounds.

What: Slinky + funky + rock n’ roll-y = “Pumice”

Why: Put on your shades and get ready to feel a whole lot cooler. “Pumice” carries so much style you’ll feel like you can groove the day away—and we totally encourage it. - Idobi Radio

Provo, Utah’s Festive People have been establishing themselves this year as a new band that’s reminiscent of the best of 70’s music. This is something they pride themselves on, as their bio on Twitter currently proclaims themselves as a mix of “your mom’s groovy 70’s tunes + your dad’s Pink Floyd records.”

Festive People is gearing up to release their new album, In the Black, on August 3rd. Two songs have been released so far – “Boxcar” and “Behave” – that represent this 70’s sound incredibly well.

Luckily for you, however, today we are excited to be premiering another new song from Festive People called “Hostage” (out everywhere on June 8th). Expanding on the new song, lead vocalist John Lane explains that “Hostage is a song about the trap that relationships can fall into called stonewalling (where one person just stops communicating with the other). That’s something I have a tendency of doing and I’d like to stop it so I wrote a song about it. I often like to write lyrics from the perspective of the other person because it forces me to really dig deep and analyze what my natural reactions to different situations are doing to those I love and care for most. The rhythm and groove of the song itself was inspired by ‘Everybody Wants to Rule the World’ by Tears for Fears.”

While the song tackles some serious subject matter, the psychedelic synth groove and daunting vocals provide an easy beat to tap along to. The steady beat throughout the song sets the tone, while the chorus is reminiscent of a mix of Joywave/Saint Motel. Listen to “Hostage” for yourself below. - Substream Magazine