INTERVIEW: The Inside Out
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INTERVIEW BY: Caitlin McGeehan
PHOTO BY: Paige Howell
The Inside Out is a band of Connecticut rockers who aren’t afraid to explore different areas of rock, like alternative and indie, and intertwine them in their sound from the inside and out.
WHIP had the chance to interview James Howard and Andi Wright about the band’s time in Philly and how it compared the city’s representation in It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, how his experience in production and engineering with Black Barrel Records impacts the band’s process, and how their songs evolve through live shows.
WHIP: You recently played the Grape Room when you were here in Philly. What was the energy at the show?
Andi Wright: The Grape Room was an awesome finale to our tour! We played with super talented local bands Stealing Society, Little Arcana, and Last Minute Changes. Coincidentally we had a lineup change and Last Minute Changes were added last minute and they absolutely killed it. There was a ton of energy in the room and we had lots of fun playing our set!
WHIP: I read that you’re fans of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. How did your experience in the city compare to the version of Philadelphia that’s in the show? We hope it wasn’t as chaotic!
James Howard: It was definitely not as reckless and chaotic! However, I will say driving around trying to park the van reminded us of the Patty wagon episode haha.
WHIP: What has it been like to bring your music on the road? Is there anything specific you learned or realized after this east coast tour?
JH: We loved jamming our sound everywhere. It was really interesting seeing the different music scenes and cultures in states coming together with how they support original music. It definitely taught us we’re spoiled in having such a big creative space as Black Barrel Records to call our home and host shows in!
WHIP: You wear your hearts on your sleeve when it comes to The Inside Out’s lyrics. There’s vulnerability, relatability, and almost everything in between. How do you know when a lyric is the right fit for a song and conveys exactly what you want it to?
JH: As the songwriter in the group I think it’s important to be vulnerable and relatable as much as you can. I think there’s a fine line to walk along with lyrics that are too vulnerable or obvious and it’s great having bandmates to keep that in check, or sometimes tell me to open up even more. Usually I know when it feels right singing it and the group is vibing with it also.
WHIP: You and Zach are both producers and engineers, as well as owners of the label and recording studio Black Barrel Records. How does that perspective influence how you write and record music with The Inside Out?
JH: I think it helps us and influences us to treat it more as a productive project and brand versus a passion project. It’s really interesting trying to separate the business parts from the pleasure.
WHIP: How do you know when a song is finished? How do you then transform it to play it live?
Andi Wright: Our songs usually aren’t finished before we play them live a few times. We like to test ‘em out in case we come up with any more ideas on stage. We sort of used our tour as a way to solidify our new songs, and now we feel ready to start tracking them out! The song never truly feels completely finished though; there are always new ideas coming up in the control room/recording booth and even during the mixing process.
WHIP: What is the music scene in Connecticut like? What was your experience in navigating it when you were just starting out? How do you continue to navigate it now as an established band?
JH: The Connecticut music scene supports itself on a multitude of levels. It’s an interesting ecosystem for sure. We’ve got so many different genres here, and different types of bands and artists too! When the group started up again after Covid, our first gig back was at crunch house, a long-running DIY venue. It couldn’t have been better than that era. Seeing bands and friends we hadn’t seen since before the pandemic. Our friend was running the venue at the time, and he did such a good job revitalizing the scene.
Collectively, we wanted to level up and the next year we started everything out of BBR (Black Barrel Records). I wouldn’t say we’re fully established and out of the DIY scene here, but I can definitely say we’d like to focus on bigger shows and venues in the state.
WHIP: Is there anything we should be on the lookout for from The Inside Out?
Andi Wright: We’re releasing a music video for our latest single “Mr. Arrogant” soon! We’ll also be releasing an album next year, so be sure to follow us on Instagram @theinsideoutband to check it out!
