Winnetka Bowling League is your new band to listen to on that road trip you have planned for the holidays. The band captures a clear blue sky California day next to the ocean, that’s what you feel like when you’re listening to their music. Known for their tunes such as “On the 5,” “Kombucha” and more, their two EP’s are full of music that will for sure take them to the next level. The band just finished their tour opening for Sasha Sloan and ECHO had the chance to chat with them at The Fonda Theater in LA.
How are you guys doing?
Pretty good, I’m folding shirts right now (at the merchandise table), Sam is watching me fold shirts and Maddie isn’t here and Chris is looking for hangers so we can hang up the shirts.
How did you guys meet and come up with the band name Winnetka Bowling League?
My brother Chris plays drums, so he and I grew up and we decided to start a band together and then we found Maddie on Instagram because she’s a bad ass base player and we stalked her until she responded, like most things in life. Sam was a friend of a friend and we liked him so we asked him to play. The name came from a bowling league in Winnetka, California.
Do you guys like to bowl?
No, that would be too cliche, we bowled before the band had a name and now we don’t have time to bowl since we’re a band.
Let’s talk your recent EP Cloudy With a Chance of Sun, how did you come up with the name and what was the process behind making the EP?
I think all the songs kind of have a bitter-sweeteness feel to it, which is where the name came from. I wrote a long of songs in our studio space in Studio City and worked on tunes and bring in the band to jam out and typically we sound terrible at first but we don’t leave until we sound amazing. A lot of the writing for that was done in Los Angeles, the first EP came out just over a year ago but there’s something nice about working on songs and just putting them out as an EP instead of hiding them and holding onto them for a record.
Was the process easier on your second EP compared to your first EP?
It’s different. I think the first EP we were searching for a sound, whenever you’re working on a follow up you’re always trying to figure out how to grow and what things you like and figure out. It’s not harder or easier, it’s just different.
How has the sound of your music changed since the first EP?
More slap base, honing in on the favorite parts, it kind of had this cloud sense of a genre and taking the things you love and condensing it down.
Do you have a favorite song off the EP?
I think we all love Slow Dances.
What is a setting you would set up a fan in for them to listen to your music?
An escape room with a big blue cloud haha.
What’s one quote you’ve heard in life that you want to ECHO out to fans?
Matthew: I think the hummus is bad
Maddie: To quote one of our fans “You’re really funny, you got a good sound,” I want people to feel that way, that’s the best compliment.
What is one lesson you guys have learned over the past decade?
I guess just do shit you really love. That sounds really vague but you can’t go wrong with doing things you really vibe with and if you don’t, then don’t do it.
