The Postelles push through the difficulties of growing as a young band.
by Matt Kelchner
“When you let the pressure effect you, it’s really when you write the worst songs and you are unable to create anything”. Quotes like this from my conversation with singer Daniel Balk of The Postelles show that the band from New York has a certain swagger in themselves and their music. For most bands the pressure consumes them and it leads to the dreaded sophomore slump. It’s happened countless times before and will happen countless times in the future. Yet for these four guys, this is not a problem.
…And It Shook Me was released earlier this year on April 23rd. It was almost two years since their self-titled debut; a debut that was produced by The Strokes’ Albert Hammond, Jr. There were no big names helping the second time. Instead, it was just The Postelles taking what they had picked up since their first album and showing that they have grown up since their days of being in prep school. “We were really young and so immature. We didn’t really know our way around the studio” Balk tells me. It was the guys like Albert Hammond, Jr. who showed them the ropes of being a professional band. “He taught us how to take it seriously”.
As our talk continued, we also went into the inevitable topic of growing up in one of the hardest cities to make it in as a band, New York City. The city’s had it fair share of famous acts, but for band that’s “made it”, there’s a laundry list of others who were not as fortunate.
“There’s an incredible sense of competition in New York City and that pushes us If you don’t have a chip on your shoulder or you’re not confident you won’t make it in New York because there’s so many bands” Balk says. Boiled down, it goes back to pressure and The Postelles’ ability to see past it. Where most bands might feel the pressure of trying to separate themselves from the sea of music, The Postelles use it as motivation. A very mature attitude for a band only a few years old.
“We definitely have a little edge of confidence to our band that sometimes doesn’t mesh well with other bands,” Balk adds. “In rock and roll, I think you need to be a little cocky and confident. I think it’s a big part. And New York’s definitely given us that edge”.
The combination of finding the right group of guys together along with growing up in the right city and having the right stars lend their helping hand has given The Postelles their own unique attitude and that alone sets them apart, never mind their uncanny ability to intertwine infectious pop hooks with each of their song. With a very well-received second album now under their belts, The Postelles be spending much of the next upcoming months touring and introducing themselves to more new fans. And if the past two years of being a band have any indication of what’s to come, you better catch them now before you’re standing next two thousands in a sea of fans.
