‘A joyful thing’: Arrowleaf, New Old Future to play ZACC | Arts & Theatre

For those who fell in love with both bands’ most recent albums during the dark days of 2020, this show will be a treat. While New Old Future has gotten to play some outdoor, COVID-conscious shows during the pandemic, Arrowleaf has barely gotten to play at all, after releasing an album just a week before the lockdown hit Missoula.

Self-described as indie rock, Arrowleaf has been around since 2016, featuring Sarah Marker on vocals, keys, and trumpet; Amanda Ceaser on vocals and synth, Brady Schwertfeger on bass and vocals, Jake Whitecar on electric guitar, Peter Puczkowskyj on electric guitar, and Jon Filkins on drums. Songwriter Sarah Marker said she is inspired by artists like Neko Case and Carole King — anything from the ‘70s on up.

Arrowleaf’s most recent album, “Getting By” leans into shoegaze, a genre characterized by a blurred distinction between vocals and instruments, as it explores ​​more vocal harmonies, use of a synthesizer and adding texture to its sound, Marker said.

“I think we just kind of found our sound a little more with this album,” she said.

As far as songwriting goes, Marker said lyrics were inspired by 2019’s burgeoning social movements that really took shape following the beginning of the pandemic. They were also inspired by grief and trauma processing caused by a death. Her partner, who plays in the band, lost his father.

You probably wouldn’t know it just by listening to the music, though. Marker said she “has a knack” for writing something that is very serious for her but featured in an upbeat song.

“Making the album was really cathartic, and I’m so grateful we got to do it,” she said.

Marker said she hopes people get what they need out of Arrowleaf’s music at the ZACC show — whether that’s to have a good time or to process something deeper.

“I think music is one of the best ways for us to process what we’ve been through,” she said.

Bry Froehlich said New Old Future is excited to play with Arrowleaf again, as they haven’t done any shows together since the pandemic began and it will be a show led by two women. Women are highly underrepresented in rock and roll, she said.

“I think, in a way, we have this responsibility toward the next generation of female musicians, that we can be an example,” she said. “We can show them that it is possible to get out and front your own band and be the boss girl, you know?”

She described New Old Future’s music as “garage-y rock ‘n’ roll with some pop punk going on, with a little bit of country.” Zach Froehlich plays drums, Kyle Campbell bass and background vocals, and Logan Heindl is on lead guitar.

“We kind of like to play with genre, but it’s all rock ‘n’ roll,” she said.

The band’s most recent album, “Showers,” came out in 2020, and it is gearing up to release a new album called “Birds” in the fall.

ZACC concert attendees can expect a little bit of everything from New Old Future’s portion of the show, with a few songs from the band’s new, unreleased album being played as well. Froehlich said she’s excited to play tracks from “Birds,” as she feels like the band has started to dial it in as a group.

“Birds” was inspired by feeling stifled the monotony of everyday life experienced during the pandemic, “especially when it is distilled down into such a small sphere,” she said. Those feelings include frustration, but there are also some silly songs, she said.

“Because we just kind of needed some relief from some of the negative feelings we were all having,” she said.

She’s looking forward to the sense of community that comes with playing an in-person show, especially at the ZACC, an all-ages venue.

“Having that sense of community again after being deprived of it after the past few years is just a joyful thing,” she said. “Facilitating the fun that people are having also makes me feel super, super good.”