Inspired by 2000s indie greats such as Modest Mouse, The Strokes, and Brand New, indie rockers The Inside Out formed in 2018 and have wasted no time creating an emotional and powerful sound. After releasing three full-length albums, they embraced danceable beats and bouncy bass on their recent single “Mr. Arrogant,” which was released in August.

The Connecticut-based indie band toured the east coast in October, and performed at the Bowery Electric in New York City this August. As they prepare “upbeat indie alternative music” for their next album, The Inside Out discuss how being from Connecticut has influenced the band, the effect of previous audio engineering experience, and what kind of music they have up their sleeves next.

Culture Flux: Since the majority of the band has a background with audio engineering, does that mean that you have a meticulous approach to songwriting and recording?

The Inside Out: For recording, absolutely. It’s easy to go crazy dialing in the perfect guitar or snare tone to fit the vision of the track. Songwriting more so involves song lyric composition and arrangement (e.g. does the song actually benefit from a pre or post-chorus and how many choruses need them), but choosing a good tempo and “vibe” for the track does relate to engineering experience as certain percussive elements might sound better at different BPMs and one mic instead of another and might be “the most fitting” for the vocalist on that particular track.

Did it take the band awhile to figure out your sound, or did it take form quickly?

Our sound is always going to be evolving and changing. We love writing music that we love to perform. We are going to keep going in this direction of upbeat indie alternative music for the next record. You never know though, maybe we’ll start making some super heavy music next!

Was playing the Bowery Electric a special moment for the band?

The Bowery Electric is always a special moment. The crowd is always great and the venue always takes care of us. It’s definitely one of our favorite venues hands down.

What do you look forward to the most about touring? Is there a lot of rehearsing and different arrangements of songs that normally happens for your live shows?

We’re looking forward to experiencing different music scenes in cities we’ve never played before, and worming our music into new ears! We didn’t need to rehearse all that much because we’re mostly playing newly written songs that we either recently recorded or are preparing to track, so they’re all very fresh in our minds. For the most part we stick to the songs’ original arrangements, though our upcoming single, “Good Times,” has a live-version jam/alternate ending we like to add in when we get the chance!

Is there a particular way that being from Connecticut has influenced the band? 

If we weren’t from here we definitely would not have met up at all! It’s a small state, so it’s really easy to feel stuck. However, there’s also so much to do around here that it can definitely be tough to try and grow as a band. There’s not much of a unified scene here because of all the different styles happening. A lot of it sounds like pop punk, emo, or death metal.

Your recent single “Mr. Arrogant” has a more danceable feel to it than No Brains, No Blood. Is the new song a good indication of the direction your music will continue to take? 

NBNB was absolutely heavier, and in a few ways, it was more cathartic to write and play than “Mr. Arrogant.” The next album is poised to be a little more spacey, dancy, upbeat, etc. Everyone associates periods of time with feeling, and TIO albums are no different.