For indie folk outfit The 502s, 2023 has been a hectic year – in the best possible ways.
Following the viral success of singles like “Magdalene” in 2020 and “Just a Little While” a year later, the group have released a pair of EPs so far in 2023 (the new Pure Serotonin, released earlier this month, follows March’s Stories To Tell).
Following appearances at festivals like Bonnaroo in 2022, this summer saw the group make its debut at Lollapalooza, performing an intimate aftershow in front of just 500 fans at Chicago’s Lincoln Hall prior to an infectiously fun 45 minute set alongside the Art Institute of Chicago on Lolla’s Bacardi stage.
“It was incredible,” said horn player Joe Capati backstage at Lollpalooza of the group’s aftershow. “It was just a wonderful energy from the crowd – especially that late at night. It truly felt like an afterparty for Lolla because everyone was just wild. We had a really good time,” he said.
“There’s so many amazing artists that are playing. Lana Del Rey. I’m very stoked to see Kendrick,” said multi-instrumentalist Matt Tonner. “I’ve got Maisie Peters circled. That’s my number one for the weekend,” added founding member Eddie Isola. “It’s just an honor to be on the bill with everybody,” said Tonner.
Ahead of a European tour set to kick off November 15, 2023 in Dublin, Ireland, taking the group through December, The 502s are in the midst of a U.S. run that’s scheduled to continue into mid-September, wrapping up September 15 in East Aurora, New York.
An embrace of the long game has served the group well, with more new music set to come in 2024.
“We’re planning a big album for the top of next year. And a big tour. So more music, more touring, more videos – just a lot more 502s,” said Isola. “We plan to do this for a very long time. And so we just hope for a lot of consistency around all of that stuff.”
I spoke with The 502s backstage at Lollapalooza about keeping an eye on the business side, life as independent artists and their embrace of the long game. A transcript of our conversation, lightly edited for length and clarity, follows below.
Jim Ryan: Two EPs this year, Lollapalooza – it seems like it’s been a crazy year for you guys. What has it been like?
Eddie Isola: It’s been awesome. It’s been more than I think we ever dreamed about. Last summer we played Bonnaroo for the first time. And that was kind of the start maybe of things really starting to happen. The past year it’s been two EPs, touring, Lollapalooza. We’re going to Europe later this year. We’re planning a big tour next year. It kind of just feels like we’re living in a whirlwind. essentially, of a really positive upswing. We feel very lucky.
Ryan: You guys have had some success on TikTok. And that’s been this fascinating thing now, watching labels try to gear release strategies around TikTok. What was it like experiencing success in that way?
Eddie: TikTok is awesome – but I don’t know that we’ve ever had much of a strategy. I think that what’s worked has been being super organic and being ourselves. That’s what people seem to like – versus, “Please listen to song,” you know?
Matt Tonner: As Eddie said, our strategy has always been to make songs that we really love and get everybody together and play them live. And ever since we first started doing it in his grandpa’s laundry room, people have always really reacted to it. We started out here in Chicago playing in a living room and now we’re at Lollapalooza. So, it’s pretty insane.
Ryan: I feel like today bands have to keep a little closer eye on the business side in maybe a way they didn’t 30 years ago. What approach have The 502s taken?
Eddie: That’s something the three of us have always had a pulse on. He has a business background, I have a math background in banking and Joe has his degree. So, I think, from the very beginning, we’ve always viewed it as, “Let’s make music that we really like and make that piece of it.” But we’ve also understood that, in order to get it out there, we’ve got to know what’s going on behind the scenes with the marketing and our finances and stuff. And I think that’s a big reason we’ve been able to grow consistently – because we have cared about that stuff. I think a lot of people maybe don’t know.
Joe Capati: I think the long game too – and really caring about where we are three, four or five years from now – as opposed to next week or three months from now. It’s very much about future game and future sight. And I think that’s done a lot of good for us. Because we’re here now and five years ago we weren’t. So, we’ll take it.
Matt: It’s funny still being an independent band as well. We have a lot of young artists who reach out to us all of the time. We do whatever we can to help everybody else. Honestly, I feel like most of what we’ve gotten to this point has been because we’ve given so much away. We just want people to be a part of it. And such great things have come out of it. So, we feel very lucky to be here.
Eddie: We’re planning a big album for the top of next year. And a big tour. So more music, more touring, more videos – just a lot more 502s. Like Joe said, we plan to do this for a very long time. And so we just hope for a lot of consistency around all of that stuff.
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