Live Music Louisville

Kopecky is a band that you might originally recognize as Kopecky Family Band. 2015, however, brought about some modifications, as the Nashville band felt the need for some brevity and simplicity, thus the new moniker. With the name change also came a new album, Drug For the Modern Age, which definitely played to their previous success, but bodes well for what is to come for the band.

We were pretty caught up with “Quarterback” the first time we heard it on the radio:

Kopecky is the Saturday night opener for one of our favorite (especially when playing live) bands, fellow Nashvillians Moon Taxi, and we’re clearly not alone because the show is already sold out. Like Kopecky, Moon Taxi has a new album, Daybreaker, that has a certain freshness to it (hence the name, as we learned in our interview with them a few months back.) Even so, it definitely still has that element that makes it a Moon Taxi record. The Lonely Biscuits, also a Nashville based band, will take the stage first Friday night. All three groups have connections to Belmont University, a liberal arts institution in Nashville that blatantly has a knack for launching some great indie bands – Southern Indiana’s The Hart Strings got started there as well, among many others.

We caught up with Kelsey Kopecky, one of the founders and lead vocalists for Kopecky, to chat about their 2015, heading home after being on the road and holiday season traditions.

Live Music Lou: The Belmont ties are running real deep all weekend at Headliners. What’s it like to share the stage with fellow alumni? And what do you think it is about the university that seems to be fostering so much quality music these days?

Kelsey Kopecky of Kopecky: Nashville is a very special place. Historically and currently, hundreds of people move to Nashville from smaller towns with big dreams for their songs. There is something magical about Belmont, the minute you walk on campus you feel the camaraderie and sense of excitement about creating music. The guys in Moon Taxi are real gents. I hope to spend more time with them in the future!

LML: 2015 was a big year for you all in terms of the transition to the simplified Kopecky and the release of Drug For the Modern Age – what does 2016 have in store?

KK: We look forward to a new year! Not sure what’s next on the horizon…that’s part of the fun.

LML: You spent a decent amount of time this past year on the road. What is the best thing about heading home?

KK: Being home is wonderful after months on the road. I love making dinner with my roommates, walking at the park, learning to skateboard on flat surfaces, playing with my hermit crabs, you name it! Sleeping in my own bed is pretty great too. The funny thing is after being home for 2 weeks I’m usually ready to head out on the road again.

LML: Along the same lines, what are some Holiday traditions that you have as a band?

KK: We usually spend Christmas with our families in our hometowns, but when we are on tour the month of December I usually buy little stockings for each member and hang them in our sprinter. We love the holidays!

LML: We love hearing who other bands are listening to these days, particularly from their own town. What bands are all over your playlists these days and who do we need to make sure we catch next time they’re in town?

KK: I’ve been listening to Boom Forest’s new album, “A Post Knight Errant.” John Paul and I have become good friends and he’s been a co-writer on my upcoming solo album.

We’re set to be at Headliners for both nights of Moon Taxi – when they announced they were hitting the road this past fall, I predicted this two night stay was in the future – and we hope you plan on joining us. The last Moon Taxi/Headliners combination was one of our most memorable shows of 2014.

Still need tickets?  Sorry about your luck because both of these bad boys are sold out.  Either that, or troll the internet for some resell tics.

Photo courtesy of Will Morgan Holland