Artist Advent Day 4: Comfort Club

Written by: Keyali Mikaela

Introducing Day 4 of Next Wave's Artist Advent Calendar! Today we present an exclusive interview with the rising musical force, Comfort Club. Hailing from Michigan, this introspective artist shares insights into his unique journey, from a sports-oriented upbringing to discovering his true passion in music. Join us as Comfort Club opens up about the inspiration behind the name, his thoughts on the role of social media in the music industry, and the anticipation surrounding his upcoming heartbreak-themed album. Get ready to delve into the creative mind of Comfort Club, a promising addition to the Next Wave of groundbreaking musicians.

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Next Wave: What inspired you to pursue music?

Comfort Club: A couple different things inspired me to pursue music. The start for me was seeing John Mayer in concert in 2013. I had never seen anything like it and it completely changed how I viewed music and set me down a long path of studying songs. Fast forward to 2019 and I'd written and released a few songs and a song called "New Ways to Miss You" started to catch some traction online. At that point, I felt like I had a glimpse of hope to get people to listen to the music I was making and that was such a fulfilling experience that still fuels me to this day.

Next Wave: Who are your musical influences or role models?

Comfort Club: Again, John Mayer was kind of the musical blueprint for me but my other main influences are Pinegrove, Joan, Dizzy, Alexander 23, Jeremy Zucker, Charlie Burg, Role Model, and Valley.

Next Wave: What's the most challenging aspect of breaking into the music industry?

Comfort Club: Well, I don't think I've really broken into the music industry at this point. It feels like that thing where you're at a store or a restaurant or something and the door is locked but there are people inside and you pull on the handle and they just look at you but don't open the door haha. That's the biggest challenge to me! But that makes it fun.

Next Wave: How do you go about promoting your music and building your fanbase?

Comfort Club: My approach to promoting my music is having fun. It's no secret at this point that TikTok and Reels are the way that artists break so for me it all comes down to having fun within those frameworks. It's been admittedly tough as I've been working on my album and keeping the new songs close to my chest but I can't wait to get creative with the promotional stuff in the new year! Fanbase development is something that I think actually happens organically because I just love talking to people on the internet and making friends. Anyone who listens to my music is a pal of mine.

Next Wave: How has technology and the internet impacted your music career?

Comfort Club: I think technology is the best thing that ever happened to my music career. I luckily started releasing music in a music industry that had already gone through a lot of growing pains that I'm happy I didn't have to figure out. Digitally distributing my music worldwide instead of having to sling CDs? I'm really grateful that those types of distribution channels exist. I feel like it puts the onus on me to make good enough music for people to care about and if you make hits, people can find them immediately.

Next Wave: Do you have any advice for other up-and-coming musicians trying to make it in the industry?

Comfort Club: My favorite adage is to just keep going. I think a lot of people quit before they really even start. Take your timeline, whatever it is, and double it or triple it. Giving yourself an ultimatum of "making it" by 30 or quitting? Change it to 50 and watch how your mindset changes when you're not in a do-or-die situation. I didn't really even start doing music until I was 23. Some people quit before they even turn 23!! That's wild to me. Just keep going until you have fully exhausted music as an option in your life.

Next Wave: What are your long-term goals and aspirations?

Comfort Club: I've talked to a lot of musicians and I think a lot of us share the same modest goal: We just want to keep being able to make music and we want freedom from financial pressure. I think it's a daunting concept that the economy is closing in on everyone. More people are living with their parents and whatnot. It's like you can't even afford to be alone anymore! I think I've got a lot of music inside of me so my long-term goal is to just get all the music out of me and see where the cards fall. It's also always been a goal of mine to do a North America run of shows too. I hope I get the chance to do that someday.

Next Wave: Can you share a memorable moment from your musical journey so far?

Comfort Club: I can't even describe how exhilarating it is to load all my gear into my car, pick up my drummer, and start driving to an out of town show. You get to see things you've never seen before, have a bunch of laughs, eat gas station food, stay up late, and go play songs to a room full of people. It's the equivalent of having a sleepover with your best friends in middle school. There's nothing like that in the world for me so every time I get the chance to do it, my heart is full.

Next Wave: Can you share a little about your creative process and how you come up with new ideas for songs?

Comfort Club: So I can answer this two different ways; a “choose your own adventure” if you will. Option 1: get your heartbroken. Not recommended but very fruitful for music. Option 2: Title hunting. I'm always running through ideas in my head and every once in a while a title will jump out at me. Once you have a title, congratulations. You have a song. You just have to fill in the blanks that support that idea. This way of writing is so fun because the excitement level for me is so high. Knowing I'm a few lines away from a great song is so fun.

Next Wave: What song, ep or album of yours would you recommend to someone who is listening to your music for the first time?

Comfort Club: Oh this is where I get to be mysterious yet truthful. I think my forthcoming album is the best music I've ever made and maybe you'll even think it's the best music anyone has ever made (and I would agree with you). I can't wait to start sharing it with the world. It's been crushing me to keep it all to myself but I'm making sure I don't move too quickly on any of it. More on that soon.

You can find Comfort Club on Instagram, Twitter and Spotify.