Interview With IOH: On Their Upcoming Album, The Tampa Music Scene, & Their "Aesthetic"

Indie-pop group IOH is a Tampa-based band that creates smart, catchy music that's perfect to sing along to on beach-side drives or at a backyard party. Their debut album Whatever Helps You Sleep At Night is out September 29th and is available for preorder now. Suburban Rose Magazine recently had the chance to ask them a few questions about the upcoming album and their band as a whole.

Q: Whatever Helps You Sleep at Night is a powerful name for an album. What inspired it? 

Dan: We came up with it one day after practice when we were sitting around going through Zakk’s old song demos. We played a few songs and right in the middle of one of the songs, he sung “Whatever Helps You Sleep at Night” and at that moment we were like, that's the album title.

Zakk: Yea, it stuck out to us because it’s meant as a term of endearment, meaning we hope that these songs can help people find peace of mind. It’s basically saying “I hope I am whatever helps you sleep at night”.

Q: How do you think the songs on this album differ from singles you've released in the past?

David: Compared to the past, I feel like we really pushed ourselves to make the tracks the best that they can be. With previous recordings we kind of rushed the recording process but with this new album, we made sure to take our time to make it as best as we could.

Spencer: I also think it differs from our past releases because the tracks are more intricate, which makes them each interesting in their own way. Every song sounds different and there is a song on this album for anyone.

Q: It’s pretty clear that that this album has a focus on aesthetic (it's even the name of your lead single!). Could you describe what inspired the overall feel of the coming songs?

David: We wanted the album to feel like a drive at night where you’re gonna wanna take the long way home.

Zakk: Yea, our goal was to transport people into our mindset. The connection was that when writing these lyrics, they all gave me a different story, and that story created a universe in my head.

Q: The Tampa Bay local music scene is great, with a lot of amazing, diverse bands putting out music. What does it feel like to be a part of this?

David: It feels amazing to be able to network and grow with other bands in the area, not just ourselves. Because there is so much amazing talent, it pushes us to better our craft. I personally love all of the bands and enjoy playing with them.

Q: Is there one song in particular that you're most excited about?

Logan: We love every song on the album but I think we are most excited for the brand new songs that nobody has heard before. Out of those new songs, December is probably the band favorite because it forced us to create something that is out of our comfort zone and write something that feels different from anything that we have written before. 

Q: Do you guys have any crazy stories from recording the album?

Dan: We have a few stories, but the one that sticks out the most is that we recorded the drums for some of the songs in my attic. Because we didn't go to a studio to record, we needed a room to record the drums in, so we picked the attic. The funniest part was that it was like 100 degrees in there so Logan was almost on fire. 

Q: You have a growing, supportive fanbase. Do you have anything you want to say to your fans?

David: Thank you to everyone who is helping us accomplish our dreams. We are all thankful for your support, especially the people that come out to every show, are front row and are always cheering us on. Thats what gets me out of the bed in the morning so thank you for everything.

Logan: I also truly do appreciate everyone that comes out because playing to an empty venue just really sucks, and trust me, I've been there, so having people that actually come out and support the band at every show is awesome, so thank you.

Q: What do you want to say to Suburban Rose Magazine's readers?

Zakk: We hope you guys check out the album, follow us on social media and come see us play in your city. Thank you for reading.

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Whatever Helps You Sleep at Night is available for preorder now.

Check out IOH's website for preorder links: https://www.iohmusic.com

Follow IOH on

Twitter: https://twitter.com/IOHMUSIC

Instagram: https://instagram.com/IOHMUSIC

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IOHMUSIC/