Ireland, Car Seat Headrest and Bob Dylan: In Conversation With Naked Giants  

Naked Giants is an alternative, indie rock band based in Seattle, Washington and consists of members Gianni Aiello (bass and vocals), Henry LaVallee (drums and backup vocals) and Grant Mullen (guitar and vocals). This was their third year at Treefort Music Fest and their first stop on their North American headlining tour.

“It's interesting seeing a district has changed so much, it's not like South by South (SXSW) it just feels really fun as a musician to be here with so many bands,” Gianni said.

Making a return to Boise, the band talked about a return to focus on their music and being present with each other on and off stage. “You know, we've been doing this for 10 years now, and a lot of people that we know back at home have been around us for that whole 10 years,” They said. “Those people are good friends, people I live with, family and all that kind of stuff. They’ve said, ‘Oh, I like this one more than anything you've ever done. This is the one that I find myself listening to over and over again.’ … I think that speaks something of like, you know, the journey of the band.” They explained how the COVID pandemic changed their view of the band’s sound and partnership. It gave them a break from the music and reflect on what was most important.

“Since then, it’s just been about reacquainting ourselves with what we choose to do. This over-the-top, circus show that we take around the country, and if we’re lucky the world … why do we choose to put ourselves out there and get critiqued?” Henry said. Watching them play, you can really tell that the band has become closer not only to each other but to the music. They had a powerful grasp on the room that did not let go throughout the entirety of the set. Gianni explained that this redefined focus has changed the perspective of what touring can be for Naked Giants. “We're coming back at it with just a sense of ease, fun, joy and like, that's really our only job on this tour. You know, like we're taking time off from work and taking time off from places that we pay rent for,” he said. “Grant brought it up as, like, kind of like a vacation, in a way, and bringing that to people and seeing these past couple shows we've played, like, they pick up on that, and they're like, ‘Oh, you guys look like you're having so much fun.’”

“As far as music goes, I find my body gets really tired about an hour and a half before the set. So it knows that I’m about to do a sprint for an hour,” Henry said. He wasn’t wrong. The set was scheduled for 1am and the boys did not even blink. It was fast-paced with a delicate ease throughout. I was stunned by the sheer talent each performer had as the conversation through the instrumentation persisted.

Bob Dylan and Timothee Chalamet's Inspirations

We talked about the band’s inspirations of their music and where the “smorgasbord of rock shit” comes from. They brought up Bob Dylan and how the recently released “A Complete Unknown” added another layer to their understanding of music and performance. “The fact that actors are like, ‘Okay, just put my fingers here and I do this with my vocal range, and I choose these things,’ like they really boil them down,  and then they do it. As a music teacher, it's inspiring to see that somebody can get up like that,” he said. 

As for Naked Giants, in the beginning, I mean, it was just fun. It's like a dream. [As] a teenager, you're like, ‘We just want to play in Seattle, play house shows you know.’ So the dream gets bigger,” Grant said.

While in Boise, the band has embraced the vacation. They explained to us that they played MarioKart in the hotel, frisbee on the lawn of the capitol and even made a stop at 12th Fret. Grant explained his experience with the staff and a FedEx worker. “I love local music stores, and just like the local music community,” he said. He continued and said that the band was on their way to pick up an amp for their set later that evening. “Yeah, he just hooked it up, and then when I pulled up there in the van, they had put like a giant amp outside, and a FedEx worker was just shredding at 10.”

Naked Giants are on tour with supporting act Girl on Girl. Their next stop is Minneapolis, Minnesota on March 31. Get your tickets here and listen to their latest release “Shine Away” here.