It doesn’t really snow that often in Nashville, but when it does, it doesn’t just shut down highways and the downtown core. Sometimes, it starts bands. For alt-rock risers In Color, a winter storm that stranded them together in a house full of guitars, half-written ideas, and long conversations became the unlikely beginning of something much more lasting. At the time, they were simply friends orbiting the same creative circles; musicians who had played in other projects, chasing fulfillment but feeling the need for something new. The storm, which was just an inconvenience at the time, eventually became the catalyst for everything that was — and still is — to come.
They wrote, talked, and stayed up late. Eventually, after everything melted, a text landed in the group chat: “Guys, we would look really cool as a band.” It wasn’t about strategy or streaming numbers, and it wasn’t even really about the songs. It was a shared feeling between the band, which consists of Holden Clontz, Matt Hastings, Val Hoyt, and Miles Laderman, that quietly turned into a year of private building what In Color would be: writing in cabins, obsessing over details, refusing to announce themselves until they knew exactly who they were.
The result became their debut EP Snow Day, which feels less like a collection of songs and more like stepping into a world — cinematic drums, swirling synths, and hooks that refuse to loosen their grip. “Headlights,” written in a burst of instinctive clarity, has since taken on a life of its own, amassing millions of streams and building real momentum at alt radio. Onstage, they’ve already proven they can command a room, opening up for The Band CAMINO and selling out cities like London, Los Angeles, and Toronto following their first headline announcement.
But even now, In Color remain committed to the same thing that started it all: isolation, friendship, and intention. They still disappear to cabins for weeks at a time. They still talk through every visual detail. They still protect the creative process like it’s fragile. In a fickle industry that tends to rely on streaming numbers, TikTok algorithms, and follower count, In Color are choosing something slower and more deliberate, building their career the same way they built their band: locked in and entirely on their own terms.
Schön! Magazine‘s Kelsey Barnes sits down with lead singer Matt Hastings on a drive home from another cabin following the recent Nashville ice storm to chat about building the foundation of the band, their new single “Big Deal,” their upcoming headline tour, and more.
Your origin story is tied to a literal snowstorm. What was happening in each of your lives creatively right before that week, and why did that moment feel like the turning point?
We’ve all known each other since they were in a band previously. We’ve all been friends and kind of in the ether of Nashville before the idea was even prevalent. I think we all got to a place creatively, and just in our lives, where we needed change and needed to feel fulfilled in that creative aspect. Getting snowed in is something we probably would have done anyway because we’ve been friends for so many years. I think that was just the cherry on top.
We made some songs, had a lot of great conversations while we were snowed in. Val was actually the one who, a week after the snow melted and we were all back at our own houses, texted a picture of all of us and said, “Hey guys, we would look really cool as a band.” It wasn’t about the music at all — it was just that. That sparked something for all of us. It felt like a no-brainer. It was like, okay, if we’re really going to do this, let’s figure out how to do it. We were a band for months and didn’t really tell anybody. It was just us, alone, making music, talking about creative direction, and figuring out what the first release would be. We spent months calling ourselves a band before we told anyone.
Since you’re literally driving home from a writing retreat at a cabin with the band, how integral have those become for you guys as a unit?
They’re huge. We want to do it as much as we can. Touring and real life make it difficult, but we try to take a couple of weeks every year to just create. It’s important for our friendship, our creativity — every aspect of what we do.
You operated in private for about a year. Why was it important for you guys to keep it between you rather than announcing and starting to release shortly after forming?
I think we’re all perfectionists in our own ways. We hold things to a high standard. Looking back, there are probably things we overthought. But it was more about knowing this was good and wanting to make it as cool as we possibly could. There wasn’t one main reason. It was also like, okay, we need more than one song. We need more than just an idea. We were trying to write music and figure out a sound. “Headlights” was one of the first songs we made where we were like, “oh yeah, we’re a band.” This feels fresh and cool. After that, we knew we had to keep going and get it right.
When first listening to Snow Day, I really could feel like it was a world I was stepping into. “Headlights” is addictive. What emotion or experience was the EP trying to capture from start to finish?
We picked those songs pretty quickly. We probably wrote about 15 before choosing those, and it felt immediate. We love walking away for 10 days and just being together and creating. That first project — we didn’t write all of it during the snowstorm, but we went to a cabin in Georgia for about a week and a half and made most of those songs. When you isolate yourselves creatively like that, it naturally turns into a project. You make something one day and ask, what else can we make that’s different? It morphs into a collection. We were learning how to produce, mix, and write as a band. It felt right for a first project.
“Headlights” has taken on a life of its own with millions of streams and is now showing real momentum at Alt Radio. Personally, I’ve had it on repeat for weeks and I haven’t gotten sick of it once. Why do you think that song connects, and what do you think people are hearing in it emotionally?
For us, it’s the simplicity. The structure is a little left of center, which felt strange at first, but we wrote it in about 30 minutes. It was very instinctual. We didn’t overthink it. In a lot of cases, it’s easy to take away from that initial feeling by dissecting things too much. That song was the perfect example of letting it be what it was. The soundscape — the big drums, the synths running through the whole thing — once it starts, you never really get taken out of it. We love that it bookends itself. It starts and ends the same way. If you put it on repeat, it just keeps going.
I think it evokes different emotions for different people. We try to write broadly enough so anyone can relate to it, to whatever they’re going through.
I really love the visual world the band is creating through the artwork, videos, and even your aesthetic on Instagram. The “Headlights” music video adds another layer to the song. What part of the story did you want the visuals to say that the audio alone couldn’t? Are visuals something you’re thinking about when writing, or do you figure them out afterwards?
Thank you, first of all. The video idea came while we were on tour. We had a lot of time with our creative director and video guy, Slayer Goodson, to think about what it should look like. Visuals are huge in our creation process. We just spent 12 days making songs, and almost every day we were talking about what the video would look like. It’s definitely part of how we create.
Snowed In is a reimagining of songs on Snow Day, recorded at Black Bird Studios in Nashville. What was it like working with those versions of the songs, and why was it important for you to strip them down differently?
Blackbird is legendary. We grew up hearing about it. Everyone there was so kind to us. We’re recording some upcoming stuff there, too. A lot of those songs started very simply. “Liar,” for example, was just two acoustic guitars. It wasn’t originally a rock song. We were really moved by it lyrically first. When we got the opportunity to go to Blackbird and reimagine them — or even go back to how they started — it felt special. It was really fun.
“Big Deal” is your latest single. Tell me a little bit about the inspiration behind that track. The song really reminds me of early Third Eye Blind.
Oh my god, thank you — that is the biggest compliment and comparison. That was one of the first songs Holden wrote when we all lived together about five years ago. I remember him showing it to me. We were all trying to figure things out at the time, and we were like, this is so good. When we started the band and began looking at older songs, that one stood out. It felt like a heavy hitter. The demo already had that Third Eye Blind kind of energy. We went into the studio excited about it.
I saw you open up for The Band Camino in Toronto, and as difficult as it can be to capture the attention of the crowd as an opening band, you had the entire venue moving and enjoying themselves. You’re heading into your first-ever headline tour this April and then hopping across the pond to the UK. What do you want the live show to communicate that your recordings can’t?
Musicianship is a big one. We’re all players. We grew up performing, so being on stage feels natural. There are always nerves, but mostly it’s excitement. We try to just be comfortable. If we’re comfortable, hopefully the crowd feels comfortable too. People can tell when you’re pretending. Authenticity is everything. Touring and playing shows is one of the most exciting parts of being in a band. And there’s always that one guy in the back with his arms crossed who got dragged there. Honestly, that makes it fun. You just give him a thumbs up. Sometimes he gives one back. Sometimes he doesn’t. That’s okay.
If you could manifest something for 2026, what would it be?
We were manifesting Europe shows, and now we are going over there in May for a couple of shows. But beyond that, opening for someone we really love on a big tour would be amazing. That would be a dream.
“Big Deal” is out now. Tickets for In Color’s upcoming tour are on sale now.
photography. Ian Flynn
interview. Kelsey Barnes
