Meet Midsummer Motel | Band

We had the good fortune of connecting with Midsummer Motel and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Midsummer, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I (John) just wanted to find another musician who complimented the style I was developing. I had seen Ethan play around town and was always blown away by his skills, so I reached out and the rest is history. We were both searching for a deep sense of artistic fulfillment and thankfully we were able to achieve that. Long Tran, who’s also from Dunwoody, had just opened Peachy Corners Cafe and I basically reached out to him asking if my band could play over there. That’s where we started playing before we could land any proper venues.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Our music and overall identity has evolved a lot over the years. We’re in a tough spot because most bands either fall to the extreme of being super alternative or super mainstream, and we’re kind of in the middle. We try to be very imaginative and not really care too much about genre labels or identities and we put a lot of energy and thought into each song from beginning to end but we’re conscious of what makes a song unique and we know when a song needs more or less. The result is what Ethan calls “unique simplicity.” It sounds very calculated but it’s actually very free in the moment and most of our best ideas just happen without a tremendous amount of effort. Right now, we’re just trying to forge our own sound and not necessarily please anybody or make any sacrifices that go against what we enjoy.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I (John) am a big foodie so there’s a lot I would recommend in the realm of food. Fellini’s Pizza, Sublime Donuts, Superica, Fox Bros BBQ, Food Terminal and Dancing Goat coffee are all Atlanta classics that I really enjoy. Aquarium is always a good time. I love catching a movie at the Plaza Theater. Atlantic Station and East Midtown have a lot of fun places to walk around.

Ethan recommends local DIY shows in Underground Atlanta as well as Ponce City Market, any of the vibrant neighborhoods in Decatur as well as Mason Mill Park and Sweetwater Park. The most authentic parts of the city are ultimately the ones with the most history.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Long Tran

Website: https://www.midsummermotel.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/midsummer_motel/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEI38lfKz0GB27EZiK08yrQ

Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6wn5QBDXgaA1DO3iN9MD36?si=GVhvyCM_SAquxqPsmKYjdQ

Image Credits
Amelia Crowder