This Saturday, June 11th, Nashville four-piece Betcha will be bringing their brand of alternative rock to Johnny Brenda’s. The band embraces the sounds of crunchy and punchy rock radio of the late ‘90s, along with some of the more introspective and moody pop of the 21st Century. They’re highly danceable, but with a gloominess that would’ve made them the perfect fit for the soundtrack of an aughts slasher film or the support act for Stabbing Westward in their prime. I recently got a chance to chat with the band about their first six years together and just what you can expect from them.
Izzy: I hate to start with such a big question but, considering that the band is still relatively new, is there anything that you think is especially important for fans and potential fans to know about Betcha, whether relating to your backgrounds or your process of making music together?
Betcha: For sure. So much of what makes us unique as a band is how we play together and the combination of our individual styles. We all come from different musical backgrounds and listen to a lot of different music, and each of us tries to bring a different flavor to our music. We definitely find common ground in our love for four-piece rock bands and is what really brings us together.
Izzy: What would you consider to be some of the highlights of the band so far, whether experiences it’s afforded you or reactions that you’ve gotten?
Betcha: Wow, we have really had a lot together. We had some amazing experiences doing a huge tour with our buddy Matt Maeson right as he was having a moment, along with some great shows with a band called KALEO. Some of our most recent favorites are some of the sell-out headline shows we had in our hometown, Nashville, along with Salt Lake City and LA. Seeing fans sing our songs and dance to our music makes it all worth it for us.
Izzy: How would you characterize the music and arts scene in Nashville?
Betcha: It’s definitely a very tight-knit community where everyone supports each other. We have so many really talented friends that we love to support and go see their shows as well as them coming to ours, and I think that is something unique about Nashville. It has been amazing being here for eight years and seeing all different kinds of genres growing and different scenes building, and it is going to be fun to see how the city continues to grow.
Izzy: Instead of asking artists about their biggest influences, I prefer to ask them about their favorite albums. So, what are some of your favorite albums, whether things you grew up loving or stuff that you’ve discovered more recently?
Betcha: So much! Some of our favorite albums include Currents by Tame Impala, Blonde by Frank Ocean, and Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix by Phoenix. Lately we have been listening to a lot of the new COIN album; they are a huge inspiration for us and we love their music. Landon Conrath also came and opened up for us on a few shows and he is a really cool up and coming indie artist out of Minneapolis.
Izzy: You recently released some really cool music videos for “Jaded” and “On Track.” What is it that inspires the visual elements of Betcha?
Betcha: Thank you! For this new wave of music we have been trying to focus our project on being more “rock” based, leaning into darker themes and more saturated visual elements. “On Track” was a fun one, we collaborated with our longtime friend Joey Brodnax, who is an amazing all around creative, to make something high energy and aggressive to match the vibe of the song. With “Jaded” we made some 2000’s nostalgia feeling, saturated visuals that we felt matched the mood of the song.
Izzy: You’re about to kick off a run of East Coast dates. What can be expected of the live show when you’re here at Johnny Brenda’s on June 11th.
Betcha: A high energy rock show! We think our live show is one of our best strengths. We have been playing together for six years and are all best friends, and I think that connection really shows on stage and in the way that we play together.
Izzy: You’re going to be playing these dates with Savannah Conley. What are your thoughts on the singer/songwriter who shares your hometown? I’m a big fan of hers as well, but it seems like kind of an odd pairing. Are you excited to spend some time on the road with her?
Betcha: We are a huge fan of her music. She is such a great songwriter and I think it will give fans a unique show experience to see our high energy show and then to get in their feels seeing a great more singer-songwriter styled show. We are early in the tour but it has been awesome, she is so incredibly cool, and the whole touring party is full of really nice and fun people so we are excited for the rest of the run.
Izzy: Finally, what’s next for you, after these dates wrap? Anything you’re especially excited about in the second half of 2022?
Betcha: Definitely, a lot more writing. We may or may not be working towards our first full-length record right now. We will be going back to the studio and recording and writing and working on the next wave of Betcha music, which we are so excited to show people and think it is some of the best music we have ever made.
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