It is rare that a band can come together as seamlessly in four months as the Minneapolis band porch light.
Performing to a sold-out crowd at First Avenue’s 7th St. Entry with other local musicians on Saturday, porch light has firmly placed itself in the Minneapolis music scene as a crowd favorite. Their original songs reflect their inspirations of The 1975 and Paramore while remaining true to their house show roots.
“I think it was kind of where we cut our teeth,” said bassist Henry Hughes. “But I think this project is maybe us trying to find something outside of that scene, something different than what we all have been doing.”
The band came together in early July of this year. Lead singer Jackie Uhas sang Paramore’s “Ain’t It Fun” at Como Tap’s weekly karaoke night when guitarist Kyle Siemon found her. He and drummer Isaiah Trimbo had been playing together since they were 15 before meeting guitarist Zac Fogarty, Hughes, and their vocalist and lyricist Uhas.
“She was belting at that karaoke,” Siemon said. “And I was like, ‘Girl, are you in a band?’ and she said no. So I asked, ‘You want to be in a band?’”
The five started playing together on the outside porch of Fogarty’s house, formerly a frat house before its conversion. The name became a natural fit, the music drawing in neighbors for casual outside rehearsals and night-time concerts.
“We would just jam up there. We’d set up all our gear, and then record videos of us and put them on TikTok,” Fogarty said. “If you’re anywhere in Dinkytown on Tuesday nights, you’ll probably hear us.”
The band has garnered over 35,000 followers on TikTok and nearly 23,000 on Instagram. The exposure was unexpected, but not unwelcome, as their covers of popular songs went viral on both platforms.
“I mean, we don’t put much thought into those covers,” Siemon said. “Honestly, we just kind of jam and have fun with it. If we get a good video, we get a good video.”
But these videos are not the focus of the band, Siemon said. He said they will lose their authenticity if they focus too much on views.
“It’s been great to get that foundation set so we’re able to reach as many people as we can with our own art,” Uhas said.
While Uhas’ lyrics reflect a sense of depth, paired with the band’s layered sound and head-banging riffs, the songs don’t feel sad.
“I’ve been trying to get as raw as I can with myself while still creating stuff that’s relatable and you can still dance to,” Uhas said. “But also, I’ve written a song about a meme.”
They played that thus-far untitled song during their set, receiving cheers from a crowd dotted with Doc Martens and Minnesota Gopher sweatshirts.
With opening acts from singer-songwriter Emily Rhea, Squirm and their alternative rock sound, and pop rock band Callback, the crowd was excited for the headlining act. Despite their short time together, the five have found a cohesive sound and lyricism honed for live performances.
“Now that we’re better friends, and we have a better connection as musicians and as a band, our most recent stuff we’ve had has been really, really great,” Uhas said. “We all feel the same way, just making music that really speaks to people.”
The band hopes to be in a recording studio soon, setting a goal to produce their first album to appease their growing fan base and hunger to perform. They have started planning performances at summer festivals and thinking of ideas for a fall tour.
“We’re just gonna keep going up the ladder if we can,” Siemon said. “Keep moving in the direction we’re going.”
