INTERVIEW: The Road to Solid Sound: Living Hour
06/26-06/28 @ Mass MoCA, North Adams MA
Photo by Lucas Pingitore
“We try to win the crowd over early and then we can get away with doing more of the spacey, atmospheric sections that are always really fun to play.”
Wilco’s Solid Sound festival is known for having who might be your new favorite band that you’ve never heard of, with up-and-comers and under-the-radar acts that haven’t quite caught on in the mainstream for whatever reason. One of those bands playing this year’s edition is Winnipeg-based, Living Hour. Leading up to the festival, the band’s Gil Carroll took some time to chat about their upcoming tour, which was built around their appearance at Solid Sound.
Formed at the University of Winnipeg, Living Hour came together when Carroll and singer Sam Sarty met while volunteering at a small college festival and connected over music. At that time, Carroll was putting together DIY shows and other small bills around town with soon to be Living Hour guitarist, Adam Soloway.
“We learned that Sam could sing and the band formed kind of naturally — we’ve been playing shows for a long time now.”
With 13 years and four albums together, the band has toured all over North America, releasing their sophomore and junior records with NYC’s Kanine Records in 2019 and 2022, respectively. The band's sound at the time was described as shoegaze and dream pop. But with the release of 2025’s Internal Drone Infinity, the band has evolved their sound further.
“After the second album, Sam started playing more bass and guitar, and started using this bass fuzz pedal,” Carroll notes. “It was just more fun when we were rocking out, so we were like, ‘ok, let’s start writing music in this vein.’”
This has also led to their live shows evolving. The band first noticed this change touring as support for other bands and wanting to make an impression on audiences who hadn’t heard them before. When the band started playing heavier and more distorted songs live, there was a noticeable excitement from the crowds. This has been an avenue of connecting, ultimately allowing them to sprinkle in some of their other sounds to a more engaged audience.
“We try to win the crowd over early and then we can get away with doing more of the spacey, atmospheric sections that are always really fun to play,” Carroll tells me.
Now, they are taking this philosophy on the road to Solid Sound. The band was informed of the opportunity to play their biggest festival to date, and in exploring how to make it more financially feasible, were able to book a festival the weekend prior in Toronto, and make their way across New York State and Vermont en route to MASS MoCA, including a local stop at No Fun in Troy on June 23rd.
“It’s nice to have some shows leading up to Solid Sound. Not that we’re overly nervous, but it’s always nice to be able to build some momentum before a big show.”
Something else Carroll is looking forward to is seeing Wilco live again. While he was always a fan of their music, it was their live performances, something he experienced in person in early 2020 (the day before the pandemic shutdown took hold in Winnipeg), that really spoke to him.
“Until I saw them live, it never fully clicked. I was blown away; those guys are as pro as can be.”
For more information on the festival, visit www.solidsoundfestival.com
For more of our pre-festival interviews, visit https://www.themetroland.com/blog-main/tag/solid+sound+festival
