Soft Eyes talks about New England’s psychedelic scene, Halloween barn parties, and donating band members
Sometimes, the best things in music are right under your nose. Such is the case with the unassuming Barrington psych-folk outfit, Soft Eyes. Lukas Goudreault, Rachel Neveu, Alex Decato, and Jesse DeFrancesco cut their teeth in beloved local acts The Migs, The New Highway Hymnal, and psychedelic-folk pioneers Mmoss, but they’re also a part of a vibrant and well-dispersed New England scene. With a popular tape, “Lazy Life,” out on the famed Gnar Tapes label and a handful of successful tours under their belts, they might be the best Seacoast band you’ve never heard of. Soft Eyes plays The Red Door in Portsmouth on May 21 and is set to release their new tape, “Stay Home,” in June through Eye Vybe Records.
The Sound recently caught up with Goudreault and Neveu, who brought along some artifacts from throughout their careers.
How has the Seacoast scene contributed to your careers?
Goodreault: When I was in The Migs, I played some really amazing shows in New Hampshire, especially at (Daniel Street Tavern). The old Barely Pub was really good, and Soft Eyes played Sonny’s. It was awesome. We had our Skull Shining DJ night at Sonny’s, too.
The Seacoast is great. I don’t think we necessarily fit into a scene specifically right here, but I feel like we fit right into a northeast New England scene, where everyone is pretty much on their own, but we unite at times. There’s all these bands that aren’t connected geographically, but I feel like it’s one big cool New England psych-rock, folky, freaky scene.
Neveu: With the bands that I’ve played in, we never really played many shows locally. We were always in Boston or New York. We formed Mmoss in Boston and we weren’t sure exactly how we fit in in the Seacoast. When we moved up here, we started to have a monthly thing at The Red Door, and we’d do a freak-out where we’d bring an overhead projector and do oils and shit.
Can you explain the artifacts you brought?
The Halloween barn show in Barrington (2012)
Neveu: We decided to have a Halloween party show in the field (and) horse pasture, (where) we pulled (out) eight wheelbarrows full of rocks. There was like 150 people there and they were passing around mushrooms. Everyone’s tripping balls, the bands (Mmoss, Quilt, The Migs, Nice Guys) are playing; it was kind of a blur. One of the dudes from Merlin’s Magic Music Box took too many mushrooms and climbed up on the rafters in the barn and was up there yelling at himself and we spent awhile trying to get him down. Kevin, from The Migs, ended up saving his life, but he put up a fight and was like, “I’m fine,” and (was) talking about dragons. Quilt played a great set and Lukas sang with them; he was (dressed as) a pizza in tights. It was such a mess to clean up. It took us over a year (laughs). Biggest party I’ve ever been at. We felt proud to be the host.
Austin Psych Fest and touring with Woods (2012)
Neveu: So, Woods took Mmoss on our second tour with them. After the first tour, we realized that Aaron (Mmoss’ drummer) was sitting in with Woods playing drums on a couple songs. So we went on the second tour and, halfway down there, Aaron started riding in their van (laughs). We knew what was going on, but it was kind of cool because Aaron was 18 at the time, so we got to this casino in Oklahoma and gambled on (Woods’) band money (laughs). We played this weird festival with Conspiracy of Owls in Norman, Okla., and that was where it became official that Aaron was more (in) Woods than Mmoss. We got to Psych Fest and it was fun, played a great set and then got to watch Aaron on the big stage playing to like 3,000 people watching him, his face was all blown up on the jumbo screen. It’s hard, I bet, for an 18-year-old kid to tell his almost-parental figures that he wants to leave the band and break up with us (laughs). Aaron is still (in) Woods and they tour a lot. It’s cool. Those drummers, man. They’re the hardest (to find).
The Lazy Life tape (2014)
Goodreault: The tape was originally put out by Under the Gun records in L.A. and sold out in one day. I wanted more copies to sell at shows because we were going on tour, so I asked Gnar Tapes and they already knew about it and wanted to put it out. … We’re honored that they’re putting Soft Eyes out. So it’s like we’re an East Coast, Seacoast band, but the people who’ve been putting out our music have been in California. It’s the same with Mmoss — it’s almost more like California music.
Who are you listening to now? Who should people know about?
Happy Jawbone Family (now called The Lentils) and Grape Room in Brattleboro, Vt.; Merlin’s Magic Record Box, originally from Dover, and Herbcraft from Portland, Maine. There’s also Quilt in Boston, Sore Eros from western Massachusetts, and Doug Tuttle Band in Boston.
Soft Eyes performs at The Red Door, 107 State St., Portsmouth, on Thursday, May 21 at 9 p.m. with Bong Wish, Tranx, and House of 1000 Sports Cars.