Indie pop band Internet Tears’ laid back, feel-good tunes are right in sync with the summer season. Shifting between light synths and jangly guitars, the Connecticut-based group released its latest single “Feels Like Summer” earlier this month. Vocalist Daniel Louis breaks down the band’s ‘80s inspiration, approach to production, and what’s coming up next. 

Culture Flux: There is a nod to the ‘80s in your sound. What draws you to that era of music?

Daniel Louis: There’s something timeless to certain ‘80s sonic sounds. We do have synths, and even full band songs that capture the era of the 1980s. We relate to the era of the 1980s and I think that having a relation to the time brings out those inspired sounds.

There’s a lot of positivity in your music. Do you consider yourselves optimists?

The whole band sure does, but I don’t write these songs out of optimism; it’s more out of the feeling of the moment. Life has its ups and downs and our music reflects that. We have a lot of songs about love and relationships and heartbreak but also the happiness life can bring at the same time. 

Do you think about the overall vibe and sound that you want a song to have before you start working on it?

That’s how I create a lot of my ideas. It starts off with the music, so most of our music starts off with “the vibe” or we go into writing a song with the sound intended for sure.

How has your approach to production changed since starting Internet Tears? 

I was producing all the music in my room on my laptop to start with a basic recording setup. Now we’re going from the bedroom to the studio and we’re actually finding that we’re going to start implementing a hybrid sound in the future. Our new song “Feels Like Summer” was the first song that Black Barrel Records fully recorded and produced for us. We all worked together to take the next upcoming recordings to the next level production and writing-wise.

How did your signing to Black Barrel Records begin?

We reached out to BBR through email to see if they would be interested in collaborating and if we could align in a partnership, and it worked out! We’ve been quite pleased with how things have been going with the indie label. The owners of Black Barrel Records are musicians as well, so they understand where we’re coming from as artists and it makes it easier to work through the creative process together.

Can you talk about the origination of “Feels Like Summer” and how it came together?

The music came first! The vibe of the song and the instrumental was written before anything was said about summer. After listening to the music over and over, it really did make me feel like this was some type of summer time jam. At the time, I was meeting a new love in my life, so the song and video is a time capsule of where the band is and sounds currently.

Is “Feels Like Summer” a good indication for what we will hear next?

It’s a flavor. We have lots of flavors and “Feels Like Summer” is a good middle ground of what to expect from Internet Tears. We do full-band rock songs, we do electronic hybrid pop-rock and sometimes will throw you a full electronic pop song. It all depends on what we feel is right at the moment to release! But do expect more energizing, upbeat pop/indie rock style for sure.