Recently I was able to schedule a Zoom call with guitarist/backing vocalist Jesse Davis of folk rock band, TopHouse, to discuss the band’s new EP that released on February 14th, called Practice. This EP comes hot on the heels of the band’s last EP, Theory, and showcases the band’s continued improvements in their songwriting. In addition to songwriter Jesse Davis, TopHouse is comprised of violinist William Cook, Joseph Larson (lead singer and guitar/banjo player,) and Andy LaFave (piano). I asked Jesse about the band’s upcoming headlining tour, what went into the writing/recording process of the tracks found on Practice, and much more. Practice is up on all streaming services here.
Thanks for your time today, Jesse! Let’s first start by discussing what went into the writing and recording of your band’s new single called, “Waste.” Can you walk me through the band’s process here?
”Waste” is technically a cover! Andy, our keys player, wrote the song some years ago and it was always one of our favorites. To be honest, back then I don’t think any of us knew that it was about his struggles with alcoholism and knowing that now makes it all the more powerful. From a recording standpoint, this was one of those songs where we wanted to show the proper level of restraint; the song didn’t need much to move it along. Mostly we just wanted to stay our of our own way. You can hear the initial strike of the woodblock at the very beginning that goes throughout the song and this steadiness was very intentional. We have a habit of complicating things or breaking things, but this song needed only to be left alone.
I understand your band recently wrapped up a stint of performing your music on a cruise. How was that experience, and did you test out the new material?
We often pinch ourselves just to make sure we’re still living in reality. It’s wild considering all the places that music has taken us! The cruise came by way of a band called Scythian. They’ve been a band for over twenty years now and this cruise was their twenty-years-as-a-band celebration. We first met them at the festival that they put on called Appaloosafest. They were such great guys. They were welcoming and very helpful to us and have pretty much become our role models. What they’ve done highlights what an independent band can achieve, and we’re eternally grateful for them giving us a shot. It was they who invited us to come along on the cruise. I’ve gotta say, I’ve never been so confused as to figuring whether I was there on business or pleasure!
Where do you and your bandmates find inspiration in writing most of your music?
Inspiration is everywhere. It’s in a phrase or an idea that just pops into your head. It’s in an interaction at the grocery store or in the car on a long drive. I think we all gratefully accept inspiration from wherever it comes! For me, I tend to listen to lots of instrumental music – lofi, classical, jazz – as well as heavier metal. I also read a good bit and enjoy a leisurely stroll through the neighborhood. I enjoy preparing a homemade meal with a glass of wine in hand. Inspiration comes from all these places.
TopHouse will also be going on a US tour this Spring. What can fans expect from coming to one of your headlining shows?
I’d rather the fans expect little. I think this allows for a go-with-the-flow attitude that some fans might need at our shows…otherwise be ready to cringe…a lot. <Laughter>
Your new EP, Practice, releases tomorrow. What do you most look forward to whenever your band puts new music out into the world?
I just hope the music causes someone to feel something that shakes them. Or maybe something that gives them chills or makes them rethink who they are as a person. I don’t want to tell people how to feel, and I don’t want to come across as preachy. I only hope there’s meaning to be found, however deep, in our music.
Can you describe how the two EPs of Practice and Theory complement each other?
Theory is an EP brimming with optimism and idealism. It’s all about the things for which we might strive. It’s the pot at the end of the rainbow. Practice is all realism. It’s about the unavoidable real-life struggles. It’s darker and a bit more somber in mood, but it ends on a tinge of hope. I like to say that we here at TopHouse LLC are suckers for hope. If you follow the arc from Theory to Practice, you find yourself full of boundless optimism in the beginning (see track “Better Is The End”). You continue in this way for a time before you start to question this optimism a bit (see tracks “Slow & Steady” and “Ready For Anything At All”). And then life gives you a smack in the face and you come tumbling down (see “Meteor”). You’re in denial about your situation (“I Don’t Wanna Move On”) before you hit rock bottom (“Waste”). You then begin to push back. You ask yourself why you’re being this way. You ask yourself, “Didn’t I used to be better than this?” (see “Better Than This”). And this then becomes the catalyst for the return of hope and feeling (“Falling”). Theory and Practice are two sides of the same coin. One doesn’t make sense without the other.
What does 2025 entail for TopHouse? And, how does your band stay motivated to continue to make more music?
2025 will see TopHouse on the road a good bit! We’ve got Europe in our sights as well as Alaska, and I don’t see us slowing down too much in the immediate future. As for motivation, I don’t think we have motivation. I think it’s something more like longing. Motivation comes and goes, but longing comes from someplace else. Sure, there are times when I’m LONGING more for a chilled beer and a couch than to be productive and write music, but music always comes back around. It’s inevitable. So if you were to ask, “How does the band continue to long to make more music?” then I would say I have no idea how. It’s just there. It’s what we do. And I imagine (I hope) it’ll be what we do many years from now, whether or not there’s anyone there to listen.
