Keep The Porch Light On
New sounds from Minnesota
We’re not in the business of being music critics at Basement Magazine. Our self-imposed job from day one has been to write about things that we find cool in the hope that you agree. Or not, that’s fine too. But when a band from Minnesota that has only released six songs and been playing together for less than a year comes to New York City, sells out the room, and blows the lid off the place, we think that’s worth a word or two.
There was chatter of a five-piece indie rock band called Porch Light that first hit the team Downstairs sometime last fall. It didn’t take long for that chatter to turn into full-blown recognition. Momentum has been building for quite some time with the group’s explosion on social media thanks to their clips of both original material and covers making rounds on Instagram and TikTok. Their debut releases earlier this year added fuel to an already growing fire. “Fall Back” and “Call Me Out” were the group’s first singles, followed closely by their self-titled five-song EP. Their show at Baby’s All Right in Brooklyn last week kicked off a headlining tour consisting of six shows from coast to coast. We’re not breaking any news by saying it’s been one hell of a first year, but we’ll do it anyway. It’s been one hell of a first year.
Fronted by Jackie Uhas, Porch Light formed in the summer of 2024. They spent the following months refining their sound and navigating the scene in Minneapolis. Although it hasn’t been long, it’s clear they’re a band tested well beyond their years and their hard work and chemistry shines through with their presence on stage. The group is rounded out with Kyle Siemon and Zac Fogarty on guitars, Henry Hughes on bass, and Isaiah Trimbo on drums. The band’s cohesion was on full display last Monday and their confidence reverberated off the walls of the 280 head room just as strongly as the music did.
If the clever guitar parts, punchy rhythm, or Jackie’s vocals hadn’t already won us over (spoiler, they did), a semi-hypnotic cover of Mazzy Star’s “Fade Into You” certainly made porch heads out of us. That one is a Basement turntable favorite, and without a doubt, Hope Sandoval would be proud. The band’s latest single “Get A Job,” released on June 9th, shook the place and is the band’s de facto love letter to the musician’s lifestyle and distaste for a life stuck in a cubicle. If the title doesn’t tell you what you need to know, maybe Jackie’s vocal uppercut of “I don’t want a job!” during the song’s outro, à la Ringo Starr in Helter Skelter, will convince you. Not only is the tune our favorite of the bunch, but for a second the song had our team debating this whole magazine thing. Maybe we’ll rent a van or something and start touring. Probably not, but never say never. Basement shows only. Another high point in the show, among many others, was the performance of the band’s brand new song “Recognize You.” A buzz filtered through the crowd as the tune started, almost as if to say this could be a big one. The song has yet to be released, but you can count on a pre-save from the team downstairs.
As you would probably guess, much of the remainder of their set list was unreleased originals. This sparks an entirely different conversation about how strong an impression they’ve made on the scene in such a short time. With a discography in its infancy, Porch Light still manages to sell out venues in Minnesota, and you’d be hard pressed to snag a ticket to their summer shows too. It seems to us that a loyal base of fans back home make a habit of packing out shows and you can expect similar turnouts to follow in this tour’s wake. Talk must be making its way around town as a few local NYC bands were in the house to check out the new sounds from Minnesota. We won’t name names, but a message was sent last week assuring that the New York indie rock scene has some Midwest company on the rise. From their porch shows where the band was formed, to Minneapolis’ Fine Line, Baby’s All Right in Brooklyn, and LA’s Moroccan Lounge later this summer, we’re buying stock in the group.
In our inexperienced experience we’ve found that, particularly in music, there are certain songs, albums, shows, or tours that feel like a precursor to something larger hanging out just beyond the rhythmic horizon. An inclination that the performance you’re witnessing is the turning of a metaphorical page in a metaphorical book to a chapter titled “Universal Cognizance” or something poetic like that. Not only were songs played last week, but pages were being turned. Whatever comes next for this band seems to be entirely up to them and that’s a good place to find yourself. Let’s bring ourselves down to earth. Their name is Porch Light (great band name), and they practice in a basement sometimes. They seem all right.
Check out a video of Fall Back and Call Me Out live from the group’s basement rehearsal space. We’d also like to send a massive thank you to the band’s photographer, Aaron Ray, for the photos used in this piece. Wise up and follow Porch Light and Aaron on instagram @porchlightheband and @grainmann.
Sounds like it was a sick show! Bummed I couldn’t make it, was really looking forward to it but I’m sure they’ll be back in the city soon. Funny enough, Over Flow shuffled on as I was typing this, can’t wait to see what they do next!