Porlolo
Since playing an impromptu debut with an ad hoc band at the Climax Lounge a few years back, Erin Roberts of Porlolo has quietly become one of Colorado’s most loved singer-songwriters. Backed by longtime collaborator Tom Mohr and a revolving lineup of players, Roberts recently put the final touches on Porlolo’s sophomore effort, Meadows. The disc nearly perfects the band’s loose and inauspicious blend of traditional folk and pop, a back-porch-born alternative to the growing folk faction in the indie scene. Roberts spoke with Decider about her habit of just-in-time show preparations and the new album.
Decider: What was the first Porlolo show at the Climax like?
Erin Roberts: I’ve never been so afraid in my life! I was thinking, “What have I done? This is horrible!” I played trumpet for bands, but really, I don’t think I took myself seriously enough to say that I was fronting a band. I don’t know if I had enough confidence in my songs back then. No one had really heard them. I think finally making it sort of a joke or not having time to think about it made it okay.
Erin Roberts: I’ve never been so afraid in my life! I was thinking, “What have I done? This is horrible!” I played trumpet for bands, but really, I don’t think I took myself seriously enough to say that I was fronting a band. I don’t know if I had enough confidence in my songs back then. No one had really heard them. I think finally making it sort of a joke or not having time to think about it made it okay.
D: So there are no more spontaneous shows for Porlolo?
ER: Because I live in Gunnison now, we don’t really practice. Whenever I come into Denver for a show, it’s really still by the seat of the pants. We’ll maybe practice for an hour beforehand. We throw different players in all the time. It’s kind of impromptu a lot.
ER: Because I live in Gunnison now, we don’t really practice. Whenever I come into Denver for a show, it’s really still by the seat of the pants. We’ll maybe practice for an hour beforehand. We throw different players in all the time. It’s kind of impromptu a lot.
D: Is it stressful to approach a gig not knowing if you’re fully prepared?
ER: It used to be. Now it’s just really fun. You never know what’s going to happen, and I like it that way. The shows are totally different. You never know who’s going to be onstage, who’s going to be playing drums, or if there’s going to be strings. I would say that in the last two years, we haven’t had one show with the same lineup. We play a lot of new songs every time, too. We’re constantly playing brand-new stuff to mix in with the old stuff.
ER: It used to be. Now it’s just really fun. You never know what’s going to happen, and I like it that way. The shows are totally different. You never know who’s going to be onstage, who’s going to be playing drums, or if there’s going to be strings. I would say that in the last two years, we haven’t had one show with the same lineup. We play a lot of new songs every time, too. We’re constantly playing brand-new stuff to mix in with the old stuff.
D: How do you manage to get new songs into the set if you’re only practicing a little before each show?
ER: Very talented friends. [Laughs.]
ER: Very talented friends. [Laughs.]
D: There are a lot of introspective singer-songwriters making music, but you seem to avoid laying it on as thickly as Bright Eyes or Band Of Horses.
ER: Certainly I write these songs as an outlet to get some of that melancholy out. I don’t really know what other outlet I would use. Some of them are pointedly melancholy.
ER: Certainly I write these songs as an outlet to get some of that melancholy out. I don’t really know what other outlet I would use. Some of them are pointedly melancholy.
D: At the same time, Meadows is mostly an uplifting listen.
ER: I would hate to be that person where everyone’s just sitting at the bar moping, drinking when you play. I come from a really strong pop aesthetic. I want every song to have a hook. I think that itself makes songs less depressing. A pop element gives them a little kick.
ER: I would hate to be that person where everyone’s just sitting at the bar moping, drinking when you play. I come from a really strong pop aesthetic. I want every song to have a hook. I think that itself makes songs less depressing. A pop element gives them a little kick.
