Last year seemed to be the year for Louisiana indie bands. Acts like Givers, Brass Bed and The Revivalists have brought the musical intuition of the Pelican State to modern music. The nationwide discovery of this assortment has resulted in a newfound interest in Louisiana’s ability to create stardom.
For these up-and-comers, months of cross-country touring hopefully result in big breaks at huge music festivals. In Louisiana, this means a spot at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. This year’s event marks the return of Louisiana quintet Royal Teeth, whose notable joyful music makes it a lone wolf in sound and style.
Royal Teeth released its EP “Act Naturally” in 2011, garnering attention from indie fans. From there, the band toured and worked on its premiere. It debuted “Glow” in 2013 to critical acclaim and widespread attention from many music outlets, including NPR, where journalist Katie Presley found Royal Teeth a soon-to-be colossal success.
“When we started the band and when we first started really taking off and touring, we signed a deal and we did it with an independent label,” said Royal Teeth vocalist Gary Larsen. “So we did it with the intention of doing it slowly. We wanted to really develop as a band and develop a fanbase. We were scared of moving too fast and burning out and maybe doing things the wrong way.”
The slow crawl toward success proved shrewd for Royal Teeth, which has shot into the spotlight as the latest indie darling from the boot. As Louisiana artists, the members of Royal Teeth answer the call of the Jazz Fest. The festival begins Friday, and the band is scheduled to play Sunday, April 27, sharing the Samsung Galaxy Stage as New Orleans jam band Galactic and prep pop stars Vampire Weekend.
“There will be a little bit of everything [at Jazz Fest],” Larsen said. “There’s going to be fans of Royal Teeth that won’t come to Jazz Fest because maybe they can’t afford a ticket to a festival, and there’s going to be fans that will come because of us and because of other bands that day.”
In the past, festivals have not been ideal venues for Royal Teeth. Last year, inclement weather stunted the band’s attendance. The band played at the Voodoo Music + Arts Experience in 2013, sharing a time slot with Calvin Harris and Macklemore. However, fans still managed to make time for the local favorites.
“I didn’t go in [Voodoo] with the highest of expectations, and we still actually had a great crowd,” Larsen said. “That right there showed me that, at a festival, there’s just so many curious people and I feel like there’s going to be interest no matter what.”
Royal Teeth’s signature jubilant tone shows distance from other Louisiana indie bands, which have a tendency to make more somber and subdued melodies. Aside from differences among Louisiana bands, Royal Teeth also has qualities that are set apart from traditional Louisiana music.
“As a group, we didn’t analyze the competition to figure out what we could do,” Larsen said. “For us, it really just happened very naturally. When we first started writing music, it was a little less pop/electronic, a little more acoustic bass. At the beginning, I didn’t think we really fit in. I didn’t feel like people would look at Louisiana and think we’re the band that represents that. I think it’s good for Louisiana to have a community of music that doesn’t have to sound like one thing.”
Nora Patterson of Royal Teeth performs April 27, 2013, at Festival International de Louisiane in Lafayette, La.
