In October 2023, Hush Club, a Somerville, Mass.-based indie rock band announced their show with Winkler at Brighton Music Hall. In December, the band posted a TikTok video promising homemade pizza to any viewer who saved their video. After selling out the Boston show, it seemed that the only option was to host an afterparty at Graffiti Pizza and Street Food, an Allston-based pizza shop.
Initially uncertain about the concept of a free pizza party, I found myself pleasantly surprised when I receive a ticket for a free slice, adding an unexpected savory twist to the after-show experience.
The band was officially named and formed in 2019, although the three members had been playing as a group for some time before that, with Chris Haley and Alasdair MacKenzie beginning their musical journey together in college.
The three of them largely share responsibilities in writing and recording their songs. Their latest release, “The Moon,” was written mostly by Haley, but included input from MacKenzie and Liz Kantor as well. MacKenzie describes the process as taking turns as the author “ while the other two people are the editors.” When discussing “The Moon”, MacKenzie said he thinks the release“ turned out pretty different than it would’ve if it were a Chris solo project.”
Although their Spotify biography describes Hush Club as “making lush, melodic, and propulsive indie rock,” the band explained they don’t limit themselves to a single genre or label. They believe that as you change over the course of your life, so should the type of art you make.
“The sound is always in motion,” MacKenzie said, comparing it to “the type of clothes you wear or the type of TV shows you watch.”
Despite attempting to avoid labels, all three members of Hush Club agreed that their December single, “The Moon” can best be described as “warm” and “melodic.”
Like many bands and artists, Hush Club has a complex relationship with their live performances. While they value “the whole package” — including both studio time and shows — Haley admitted that they “certainly do have a lot of fun playing live shows.”
The band compares live performances to camping, in the sense that when they are on stage rather than in a studio, they must pick and choose which instruments they will bring with them. When they first began recording, they often layered a variety of instruments to create a deep, complex sound. But they don’t view the paired down instrumentals during shows as a handicap. Instead, the band expresses how excited they are to see the new lives that the songs take on. As they perform more and more, they trio has also worked to incorporate their live energy into studio recordings.
Playing the show in Allston was especially exciting. The group was surrounded by friends, family and longtime fans, all piled into the 500-capacity venue. This was their largest sold-out show. Many of the tickets went to these familiar faces, while even more were sold to newer fans, thanks to the power of their recent TikTok fame.
“We were very happy to see that these videos, the pizza, the dancing and the couple others show more of what we really are, friends who hang out and make pizza together,” MacKenzie said.
In light of Hush Club’s success in Allston, MacKenzie feels “like we’re going through a door and it’s a very exciting looking door and we’re not quite sure what’s on the other side,” he said. “But probably something cool is on the other side.”Naomi Zwelling can be reached at [email protected]
