The Novel Ideas are fresh off the release of their self-titled album, representing a contribution to the country-folk scene that balances love-and-loss melancholy with thoughtful instrumentation and intricate vocal arrangements.
The Novel Ideas are a four piece band from Boston, MA. Since their formation, they’ve earned a reputation from fans and music critics for their moving four-part harmonies and rich Americana sound.
We chatted with the band about their formation, favorite show memory, and songs that comprise the soundtrack of their lives. Read more below.
How did the band come together?
The band as it is came together around our first album Home. Daniel and Danny wrote the songs and realized they needed a full band to play and support it. That’s where James and Sarah came in, and pretty recently our drummer Pat joined.
Who or what has inspired your sound and latest self-titled album?
With 5 members the inspirations for our songs are wide and varied. We all definitely were heavily influenced by our personal experiences and favorite artists.
Is there a story behind your band name?
The official story is that in high school Daniel was too shy to write songs about his feelings so he would write songs about books instead. He has since shed that shyness.
What is your favorite show memory?
Our first show in Nebraska, the band we were opening for blew a tire on the way so they couldn’t make it. So we ended up having to play an entire night. We got three encores and a tray of free shots from the bar. It was a fun night.
What would be your dream tour and why?
Any tour where we could play to listening crowds every night.
Tell us about your writing process; any unusual quirks?
We have three main songwriters in the band and our styles are a little different from each other. Usually one of us will come to the band with a melody or idea and the band can fill in the rest. Daniel and Danny tend to write music first where Sarah usually starts with lyrics.
What’s your favorite song to cover?
We have a few, but usually anything by Fleetwood Mac or Jackson Brown is a good bet.
If you were to create a “soundtrack to your life,” what songs would be on it?
Patsy Cline “Walking After Midnight”
Fleetwood Mac “Landslide”
Jackson Brown “The Load Out”
Celine Dion “Then You Look At Me”
Would you like to add anything else?
Just that we’re excited to keep playing new places in the US and hope to hop the pond to the UK sometime next year!
Filed under: Creation Stories, Features Tagged: Creation Stories, the novel ideas
