The Postelles have their own sound and their own vibe. Gritty and smooth at the same time, they’re pretty hard to ignore.

I first heard the Postelles when I got my hands on a copy of their “Summer Undercovers” EP. Four interesting song covers I reviewed here on IYS. The covers impressed me enough that I had to download their first album to go with it (released this past summer) and I was instantly a fan of these guys.

Then I found out they’d be opening for The Wombats, who I was going to see in Chicago. Score! Then I found out they’d also be opening for The Kooks who I was going to see in Columbus, double score!

And after their awesome show in Chicago, I have to say…Columbus had some pretty high standards to live up to. Turns out…they did. Their show in Columbus was flat out amazing. Like in Chicago, they had the audience eating out of their collective hands. I really can’t recall many other shows I’ve seen where the support act’s set ends up as popular as the main act’s. With The Postelles, we’re two for two.

So when I got the chance to ask lead singer Daniel Balk a few questions about their busy life on the road, first albums and cover tunes I took it!

Here’s what he had to say.

In Your Speakers: First you tour with the Wombats. Now the Kooks. You played Midtown Music fest in Atlanta…it’s been a big fall for the Postelles…what’s been your most memorable on-the-road moment so far?
Daniel Balk: That's a really tough question, because a lot happens on the road. I'll make it personal to Columbus though. We celebrated Thanksgiving with our friends The Kooks at our hotel. We had a huge dinner, which food-wise wasn't very good, but we had a great time. We ordered sixteen Appletinis!!!

IYS: You’ve played a real variation in venues…small, festivals, large venues…what have been your favorites?
DB:It's always a different experience when it comes to clubs and theaters and festivals. We had a great time at Music Midtown Festival in Atlanta. In terms of clubs, we love 930 Club in Washington DC. This past tour we all loved Metropolis in Montreal. It was a large, beautiful, old theater with great sound.

IYS: Speaking of sound…what does the band listen to on the road?
DB: We listen to a lot of music on the road. Personally, I listened to a lot of John Lennon's solo records on this past tour.

IYS: What are the Postelles plans for after the tour?
DB: We are going to work on recording our second album. We've already begun recording some tracks, but we are keeping at it to have that ready for the new year.

IYS: So are you working on new material while on the road?
DB: We love working on new songs during sound check and we've taken advantage of that this past few tours.

IYS: Was the experience with putting out the first album what you were expecting?
DB: It definitely was not what we were expecting. We thought it would have been a lot smoother process, but we have had a lot of fun since the record finally came out.

IYS: Did you start working on the album with a real definitive idea of what you wanted?
DB: We all wanted to get a live feel for the record, not over saturated with too many tracks or layering.

IYS: Did the album turn out the way you thought it would?
DB: We wanted to achieve a live sound with our first record, which we did. We didn't know our way around the studio too much, so it was a learning experience. In the end, we got some great sounds and it captured a moment in time for us as a band.

IYS: Where did you record and why did you choose there?
DB: We recorded in Manhattan at a few different studios. Most were chosen by our producers, but we played in some great places like Electric Lady in New York.

IYS: I loved the covers EP…how did you decide what songs to put on there?
DB: At first I wanted to record some heavier punk songs like GG Allin or The Misfits, but we ended up making it a little lighter. It was great to do some fun softer summer songs and make them our own in a way. We've always loved The Smiths and the Wreckless Eric song has always been one of my favorite tracks. John [bass] and Billy [drums] came up with some great parts for that cover, which really made it special.
[Editor’s note: Wreckless Eric’s “Whole Wide World” live by The Postelles? Best. Cover. Ever.]

IYS: And we might we hear what got cut later?
DB: You might hear some later. Like I said, a few heavier songs got cut but we might take a shot at them later.

IYS: Where do you find your inspiration?
DB: I'll look for inspiration wherever it wants to be found. I tend to build up thoughts and ideas for songs until they all pour out. I like to think of it as filling up a glass until it just spills over and into a song or a group of them.

IYS: I love that analogy. So…what do you want people to know about the Postelles that they won’t know if you don’t tell them?
DB: We are working on a new album right now and we hope to have it out in the new year. We've been spending more time on each of the songs, which has been a lot of fun. We're all really excited about it.

So are we, Daniel. So are we.

In the meantime check out some shots of Daniel, David (guitar), John (Bass), and Billy (drums) in action in Columbus November 25th.
Below is the video for “123 Stop” from acoustic sessions The Postelles found time in their busy schedule to record this fall.