Austin-born songwriter Bo Staloch performed at the Austin City Limits Music Festival on Friday at the Tito’s Stage. His second weekend at the festival, The Daily Texan sat down with Staloch to discuss his performance and upcoming releases.
The Daily Texan: What was going through your head as you walked on stage?
Bo Staloch: It’s cool to see my family show up, and the first people I see are always my family. It’s very comforting, but I was very nervous today.
DT: Did it feel real as you were going up?
BS: It did. I went into this show wanting to be as present as I can be, because I want to remember it all. It felt real, and I felt very in the moment, which was awesome.
DT: How do you feel you’ve grown throughout your music career?
BS: I’ve learned a lot about trusting your feelings. If it feels good, there’s a reason it feels good, and if you’re hesitant about something, there’s a reason you’re hesitant about it. (I’ve learned about) trusting your gut and trusting your body. Your body truly knows a lot more than you think.
DT: Do you have any advice for students looking to get into music?
BS: (Trust) yourself. If you’re creating something that feels good, chase that. Whether or not it clicks right away, whether or not it connects with people right away, chase that, and it will connect. When it does connect, it’ll feel that much better and more real because you curated that and you created that. … Follow whatever feels good to you.
DT: What makes ACL such an important place for highlighting local artists?
BS: Growing up, I went to ACL every year and I’ve found so many artists through ACL. To potentially be one of those artists for other people is, wow. … Being able to have this opportunity is so special and I feel so lucky.
DT: (Tell me about) the importance of live music.
BS: (COVID-19) really effed us over as a society and as a human race. In my opinion, the whole point of life is to connect with other people. Music is one of the most special and intimate ways you can connect with somebody, and live music elevates that. It’s creating memories and creating stories for your kids, and it’s the best thing in the world.
DT: Can you talk about (your upcoming EP, Too Big, Too Big)?
BS: I have a project coming out on Nov. 6. It is a whole bunch of songs that fit in that very vulnerable, very honest human storytelling. (I’m) trying to follow that and see where that goes.
DT: Tell me about (your upcoming single) “Hers.”
BS: I love that song. (I’m) very proud of that song. It’s about that moment of not being fully honest with somebody, and them not being fully honest with you, but you both know that there’s something more to the friendship, to the relationship, and that can kind of spiral out of control pretty quickly. It follows that storyline.
