A Little Kindness: An Interview with Royal Teeth

by - August 13, 2019

Photo courtesy of Jakob Wandel
Life on the road always starts out in a less-than-ideal environment for bands new to the touring scene. Indie alt-pop band Royal Teeth was no exception, with six members and typically one shared hotel room. They’ve since dropped down to four members and have spent the last few years constantly touring, getting the opportunity to become comfortable around each other.

“It’s a lot easier and calmer than it used to be,” vocalist Gary Larsen said. “It’s a very chill environment.”

Their chill environment is seen from their long drives listening to podcasts, to a relatively calm green room right before a show.
“We like to give each other space,” Larsen said. “We don’t really create loud party environments that others can’t escape.”

They aren’t incredibly picky when they describe their ideal tour. They’ve never travelled in a tour bus, but wouldn’t mind giving that a shot sometime. They usually have a rider comprised of three things: water, vegetables and whiskey. They have a love for theaters and still have an intimate vibe at all their shows.

They are no stranger to festivals, however. From their hometown festival of Jazzfest in New Orleans to Festival International in Lafayette, playing them has been nothing short of beautiful memories.

“I also remember our first time playing Firefly thinking no one was going to watch us [because] there was maybe 5-10 people in the field waiting while we were soundchecking,” Larsen said. “As soon as the band across the field finished, everyone ran over to our stage right as we were starting the first song and it felt pretty surreal.”

For Larsen, he constantly tries to remain in the moment and reminds himself to enjoy the experience as much as possible. There was a point where he was taking his position for granted and didn’t get to enjoy the places the band was travelling to. Now, he makes sure to see a little bit of every city he’s in. The biggest piece of advice that has really stuck with him?

“Just to be kind to everyone. It’s a small world and a little kindness goes a long way. It still amazes me how much kindness we’ve received from people while touring so we want to make sure we give that back as much as possible.”

Listen to Royal Teeth's latest LP, HARD LUCK

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