Can you please introduce yourself and tell us a bit about your musical journey and background?
Harbor & Home is a folk rock band from Minneapolis that has been touring and making music for the past 10 years.
Started by the lead singer, Kaleb Williams, the band has evolved over the years with different members and variations of the group, but one member never stopped his pursuit of creating authentic and honest music.
Who are some of your biggest musical influences, and how have they shaped your sound and style?
I would say: Mumford and Sons, Needtobreathe, The Head and the Heart, The Lumineers, Maroon 5, Colony House and Kings of Leon just to name a few. There have been many different seasons with different artists taking the forefront of our attention and admiration. Our sound is a living and changing organism that is impacted by not only music of the past, but also current musical influences and endeavors. Besides our taste in music, we’ve also chosen people to work with based on their involvement with the groups listed or other groups that we enjoy or look up to.
Can you share a specific artist or album that has had a significant impact on your music?
The group needtobreathe has had a big impact on our lead singer, Kaleb Williams, due to the nature of the powerful vocals that they have in their music. The Lumineers had a big impact on our first record as we chose our mixing engineer based off of their album’s credits.
What’s your creative process like when you’re composing or writing a new song?
The writing process tends to be an evolving creature as well. We learn new tricks from other artists or studio buddies and tend to add the newly found skills to our arsenal when trying to write something new. For the most part, the song will either start with a lyrical hook or some melody that catches our attention. A lot of our songs are written based off of some sort of instrumental hook that we sit with and write melody and lyrics around.
Among all the songs you’ve created, do you have a personal favorite? If so, what makes it special to you?
There are a handful of songs that I would put in that bucket and all for different reasons.
Lyrically, I enjoy the song, « Lies » for its message and application to life.
Hook-wise, I enjoy the song, « Devil’s Got No Hold »
Overall Vibe, I enjoy the song, « Long Way Down »
Playing Live, I enjoy the song, « Outskirts »
Nostalgia-wise, I enjoy the song, « I’ll Be Around »
Can you share the story or inspiration behind that particular song?
The song, « Two Faces » is a dichotomy between love for someone and disdain for them. Being in a bad relationship marks a struggle for many of us in our younger years and this song attempts to encompass the struggle we face. In the chorus it addresses the battle of the mind by first sharing our problem, « Everywhere I look it reminds me of you. » Directly after that, we have our response, « it’s a simple complication I’m getting through. »
An additional note to this song is that the verse chord progression is minor and the chorus progression is major, adding to the tension in the song.
Let’s talk about your latest song. What’s the title, and what’s the story or message behind it?
The latest EP that we came out with is called, ‘Change’. When I started writing the title track, I had a visual picture in my head. It was a sunflower; withered and dry, drooping over while holding an umbrella over its wrinkled head in the middle of a rain storm. I loved focusing on the idea that sometimes we are just like that sunflower. We want or even expect change to happen in our lives and yet sometimes we are the ones getting in our way. We want so badly to avoid painful or hard things and just skip to the part when everything is sunshine and roses. But the truth is, sometimes the rain has to fall on us so that when the sun finally does come, we might be ready for it. That’s what the song, « Change » is all about.
Share a memorable or unique experience from one of your live performances.
During Covid, we decided to throw an outdoor concert at an amphitheatre near our hometown. In the middle of all the chaos and worry, we were able to provide people with a small escape. It was an amazing night complete with a lake view, amazing light show, and a live stream for the loved ones that weren’t able to make it out. One of my favorite shows we have ever done.
Beyond music, do you have any hobbies or interests that you’re passionate about? How do they influence your music?
I have always said that if I didn’t pursue music, I would love to pursue cooking. For me it’s really something that I don’t get to do very often if we are out on the road so I love the feeling of « home » I get when I have the opportunity.
Is there a dream collaboration you’d like to pursue in the future?
I would love to collaborate and songwrite with Ed Sheeran someday. May never happen, but I think he would be really fun to write with. Another dream collaboration singing wise would be either: Joy Williams from the band the Civil Wars, or Kacey Muscgraves.
What advice would you give to aspiring musicians who are just starting their journey in the music industry?
I would say, buckle up because the ride is a wild one! Never a dull moment as an artist. It’s an easy thing to compare in this industry so combat that tendency with all that you have. The best thing about music is being able to do it with others so never let an ego of yours get in the way of that!
Can you give us a sneak peek into any upcoming projects or new music you have in the works? What can your fans and listeners look forward to from you in the near future?
We are currently writing for a project we are hoping to unveil in the next few months! We are coming out with a new music video on March 1st and beyond that we will be opening up the hip new festival in St. Paul, MN called, « Minnesota Yacht Club Festival » with massive artists like, The Head and the Heart, Gwen Stefani and Red Hot Chili Peppers.