From Couch to Cosmos: How a Retro-Pop Collective Found Their Big Talk
Couch Level Up: Inside the Making of Big Talk
When Couch started, there wasn’t a studio, a label, or even a stage—just a dimly lit living room and a group of friends with melodies too big to contain. One of them was recovering from a concussion, confined to the couch where the band’s earliest songs quietly took shape. That space became their symbol—of rest, of creativity, and of rebirth.
Now, years later, the Boston-bred septet has traded that living room for sold-out rooms across the U.S. and Europe. With their debut album Big Talk out today, the group steps into a new era that’s as soulful as it is self-assured.
“Big talk is the opposite of small talk,” says lead singer Tema Siegel. “It’s about digging deep and connecting for real.” Guitarist Zach Blankstein calls it “the fullest expression of who we are right now.” The album fuses analog warmth with pop precision—horns that swell like heartbeats, harmonies that shimmer like sunlight, grooves that nod to Stevie Wonder and Bruno Mars but land somewhere entirely their own.
Formed from childhood and high school friendships, Couch has always been a story of community first. Their blend of vintage and modern sensibilities has drawn fans from NPR to TikTok, with more than 60 million streams and counting. Still self-managed and self-produced, the band builds their world the same way they began—collaboratively, fearlessly, and from the heart.
As they embark on their 40-city international tour—with stops at Roadrunner, The Fonda, Brooklyn Steel, and KOKO—Couch brings the intimacy of that original living room to a global stage. The only thing that’s changed is the size of the audience.