With a decade-long partnership rooted in musical evolution and emotional depth, The Ballroom Thieves have captivated audiences with dynamic performances and introspective songwriting. Ahead of the upcoming show at Volcanic Theatre Pub on Sept. 17, Callie Peters of the indie-folk duo shares insights into its latest album, "Sundust," the themes of self-awareness and healing that run through their music and what fans can expect from their Bend performance.
Source Weekly: You've been making music together for over a decade. What do you think is the key to maintaining your creative partnership?
Callie Peters: Wow, you’re right; over 10 years of music-making now. Sometimes, it feels much shorter; sometimes, it feels like we’ve been writing together forever. For us, the key is planning and communication, but another big factor is never forcing creativity. Over the years of talking about how we want our music to evolve and then actually making that music, we’ve learned that it doesn’t work to force a writing session, that not all songs will make it onto albums, and that our individual involvement doesn’t always have to be equal. Things always shake out in the end, and with these things in mind, we find that we always want to come back together to try and make the next thing. It’s a lot like a marriage. The goal is longevity and contentment.
SW: Your new album ‘Sundust’ explores themes of self-awareness and healing. Can you share what inspired you to center the album around those themes of tenderness and self-awareness?
CP: It seems like humans are entering an era of self-awareness and acceptance, but there are still many people who aren’t willing to hold up the mirror. It’s difficult to navigate boundaries and standards with anyone, but it’s especially challenging to find the balance with family members who follow an older and out-of-touch set of guidelines about relationships. We both feel that healthy communication and compassion are pillars in any relationship, so most of the songs are about that, and the time before the time of coming to terms with relationships that suffer or end because of this difference of opinion.
CP: This show will feature lots of vocal harmonies, various guitars and plenty of cello. We've reworked many of our full band songs into gentler, duo versions, and we've loved learning some of our favorite songs by other artists, so we'll throw in a few "thievesified" covers. We'll also have plenty of stories to share from our cross-country drive from Maine to beautiful Bend.
SW: Are there any particular tracks from "Sundust" that you're excited to perform live? What do these songs mean to you?
CP: We’ve included a small handful of Sundust songs. Since they’re so new, we still feel very connected to them, so they mean a lot (for now!!!) We will definitely play Angry Child, Boring Disaster, and Tender, which we really love to sing for people.
SW: How have you both grown as individuals, as a couple and as a duo throughout the creation of this album?
CP: We’re always getting better at walking the talk. It’s tough to read and write so much stuff about good communication and compassion and then not apply it to every relationship. It’s a dark time for humans, and being kind to others and having high standards for the behavior that comes back to us definitely helps. Our band, our relationship, and the two of us as individuals all feel linked. One doesn’t change without shifting another.
SW: Where or who do you get your musical influences and inspiration from?
CP: We’re inspired by the everyday moments in life, the breeze in the backyard, and the sun on our faces. We write what we experience, which often leaves us with batches of extremely personal songs that act as a form of catharsis when we share them with others. Musically, we’re inspired by our peers and the people we tour with. We were supporting Sarah Jarosz on a recent tour, and watching her and her band play every night was really inspiring and educational. Apart from that, we love Fleet Foxes, Paul Simon, The Shins, Leif Vollebeck, Warren Zevon, lately I’m obsessed with Olivia Dean.
CP: We played a sold-out show at the old Crocodile in Seattle riiiight before the pandemic started, so that one sticks out. But recently, we had some particularly great hometown shows in Boston and Portland (the Maine one) where the energy in the room was just perfect. We love it when the audience is right there with us, getting rowdy during the rowdy songs and settling into the quieter ones. Bend tends to be really good at that, so we’re looking forward to the 17th!
