Nashville indie rock group Bats delighted the crowd for their afternoon set at last week’s Culture Shock. Bats were third in the lineup, following energetic performances from Mourning Star and Wind, and drew the crowd in for a bright 40 minutes of indie country sway. Bats’ lineup includes frontperson and songwriter Jess Awh, drummer James, steel player Nick, and bassist Ben.
We got to sit down for an interview with Jess following their set, chatting a bit about Culture Shock and the band’s trip to Indiana. Jess mentioned onstage that the band had driven up from Nashville that morning, and that they were happy to be back in Bloomington. “It was great to see that there was such a big crowd out there, and so many vendors,” she said of the festival; “it seems like you guys have a really great community here.”
Bats’ 8-song set centered songs from their newest album, “Good Game Baby,” released in March 2024, incorporating a few tracks from their second album “Blue Cabinet,” and treating the crowd to an as-yet unreleased track from an upcoming project (more on this later!). “We do a unique setlist for every show, based on the vibe that I think the event is going to have” said Jess, “and so we picked some more rockin’ songs to mix with some of our slower, more acoustic songs.” This was a blend that worked beautifully during their Culture Shock set, wandering from “Good Game Baby” album track favorites like “Going for Oysters” and “Downtown Sucks You Can’t Park Anymore”, to Blue Cabinet classics like “Golden Spoon” and “Spinnerbait.”
After talking a bit more about Culture Shock, we delved into Jess’s songwriting and Bats’ story. Jess began writing songs at age 12 or 13, after her brother began taking guitar lessons and then abruptly quit. “I got his $60 acoustic guitar and started writing, but I was too scared to perform or anything back then.” Jess left Tennessee for college, and only began performing original songs when she returned to Nashville. “I was helping out with the DIY scene, helping put on shows and write about them, so I was like, why not play one myself?”
Shortly after, Jess found bandmates Nick and James, and the three have been playing together for the past four years. Bassist Ben joined them about 2 years ago, rounding out the group we saw on Saturday at Culture Shock. Jess remarked on how collaboration within the band has somewhat changed her writing and production, opening new creative doors for herself and the group. “Now I’m not just thinking, what sounds can I make in my bedroom by myself? I’m thinking, what can Nick’s instrument do on this song, or what could James do live?”
She self-describes Bats’ style as “indie rock with pedal steel,” but that she also hears alt-country as a genre classification. Looking at Jess’s songwriting influences, both of these make sense. She traces her stylistic roots back to country radio: as a Nashville native, she grew up with the sound of artists like Tim McGraw and Carrie Underwood as a perpetual influence. Jess mentioned the importance of these reference points on the spirit of her songs: “I love catchy stuff, I love a straightforward message that makes people feel something.”
In addition to country radio, Jess cited the indie rock and the experimental music she was exposed to during high school and college as inspiration for her sound. As she got older, she started to explore older country from the 1930s to 1970s, and even held a radio show on her college station dedicated to country vinyl from this era. Jess suggests that this classic country influence has led to some of Bats’ more “out there” lyrics and sonic choices. Now, revisiting Bats’ discography is so interesting with these diverse influences in mind.
Nashville understandably informs a great deal of Bats’ songwriting and sound. When we asked about the nature of the music scene there, Jess was optimistic. “I love the scene. I love the people. We have a really strong DIY scene and great indie radio stations that are so supportive of bands.” But she also explained her love for playing smaller towns like Bloomington. In musician-rich Nashville, she says, “...we kind of have a reputation for nobody dancing.” But in smaller towns like Bloomington, people are always enthusiastic about going out to see music they care about.
Before moving on to discuss Bats’ upcoming record, we had one curveball question. Followers of their Instagram (@bats.tn) might be familiar with the band’s cat, Birthday – a sort of unofficial mascot frequently featured in their posts. We wanted to know more. Jess adopted Birthday, her “first pet ever,” from a Nashville shelter for $30. Fittingly, Jess says the new album will feature a track called “Song for Birthday”, which we all hope launches her into national alt-country stardom.
Even though we didn’t catch “Song for Birthday” during Bats’ Culture Shock set, we got to hear a different upcoming song called “Fringe Believer.” We don’t know exactly how or when the record will be released; Jess told us it’s currently being mixed, but that if everything goes well we might be getting some new Bats music this coming fall or winter.
Aside from work towards their record, the band is entering something of a “laying low” phase for at least the summer and fall. After touring around the U.S. for a few months last year to promote Good Game Baby, Jess is looking forward to performing some duo sets with drummer James in Nashville later this year.
Jess is clearly devoted to local music, college radio, and the genuine relationships that emerge when people converge around a love for music. “I want people to know how much I love college radio, and I think it’s so important,” she told us to end the interview. And we saw the best that college radio has to offer on Saturday; it’s always heartening to see so many members of the IU and Bloomington communities come out to enjoy live music, and to enjoy it together. It’s events like Culture Shock that remind us of the importance of music as a center for genuine community building.
