After a two year hiatus, indie darlings Club Sofa are back with a more mature, broodier sound with their single, “M.E.L.T.”. Coming onto the scene in 2017, the four piece band—comprised of Payton Hansen (rhythm guitar/vox), Dom Hallberg (lead guitar/keyboard), Jess Jones (drums), and Jas Carlin (bass)—made a name for themselves with upbeat bops like “Myspace 2009” and “Birthday Party.” While never ones to shy away from introspection in their music, “M.E.L.T.” is a darker anthem which sees the protagonist living in the aftermath of sexual assault. We had a quick chat with Club Sofa about who they are as a band, and how they’ve grown. 

SAD: Where does the band name "Club Sofa" come from?

Club Sofa: Jasmine wrote a big list of different ideas one day and we just liked Club Sofa the most! It’s an item you can buy in Habbo Hotel, which is pretty nostalgic for us as well.

SAD: It's been a couple years since your last project, how has Club Sofa grown/changed since then?

[W]hen we released our first album we were a lot more naïve, and we felt a lot of pressure to “just release something.” This time around we are really taking our time and talking throughout the recording process. We also have our manager/producer/engineer, Anthony, with us when we record—he has lots of solid tips and helps us to stay on track! 

"M.E.L.T." feels like a departure, with the lyric "I'm 23 going on 40" and its subject matter, it feels more jaded and mature - can we expect more of that with your upcoming singles?

[Y]es you can! This album deals with a lot of stronger and darker emotions, things like grief, abuse, and relationship difficulties. That being said, we have always written about sad stuff, but we usually try to keep the overall sound on more of the upbeat/high energy side of things! 

Payton's soaring vocals have an exasperated, anthemic feel on "M.E.L.T." that reminds me of earlier projects from the Belle Game. Are there any bands (local or not) that have inspired your latest work? 

[T]hank you! We draw a lot of inspiration from Peach Pit, Winona Forever, and a lot of other cool local bands. Payton is inspired a lot by songwriters like Mitski, Nicole Dollanganger, and Frankie Cosmos!  

Lastly, how would you describe Club Sofa to someone who's never listened to Club Sofa before?

[W]e joke around a lot that our sound is “emo surf,” and it kind of is in a weird way, but if we had to put ourselves in one genre it would probably be indie-pop (with a beachy twist). We love layering guitars and vintage synth sounds, and we take a lot of pride in our knowledge of music theory and how we apply that to our own music. Improvisation is a big part of our live sets—we never play the same solo breaks twice, as it’s a lot more genuine and cathartic for us to improvise. 

You can listen to “M.E.L.T.” now on Spotfiy.

This interview has been edited for clarity.