DIY Band Couch on World Tours, Self Managing, and Fan Building

About this episode

Ari Herstand interviews Tema Siegel and Zach Blankstein of the band Couch about their DIY approach to music, touring, and fan engagement.

This week on the New Music Business podcast, Ari sits down with Tema Siegel and Zach Blankstein of the band Couch. Tema is the singer and Zach is the guitarist/manager of this seven-piece soul-pop band from Boston. Their explosive live shows and fully DIY approach have helped them sell out major venues across the country. Formed from lifelong friendships and built during the pandemic, Couch has grown into a globally touring act while self-producing their acclaimed debut album 'Big Talk'. In this episode, Tema and Zach break down how they built an engaged fanbase without label support, the logistics of touring as a seven-member group, and the creative and vulnerable writing process behind 'Big Talk'. Ari dives into their ad strategy, their partnership with the Salt Lick Incubator, how they secured major support tours with Lake Street Dive and Cory Wong, and what it takes to balance musicianship, management, and sustainable growth as an independent band in 2025.  http://instagram.com/couch.theband 07:16 – Adding the seventh member & early chemistry 09:15 – Touring as an introvert and finding group balance 12:19 – Managing a 12-person touring party 16:34 – How fans are…

People in this episode

Host: Ari Herstand

Guests: Tema Siegel, Zach Blankstein

Topics covered

• DIY music
• band management
• fan engagement
• touring logistics
• songwriting process
• independent music

Keywords

• Couch
• DIY band
• fan building
• touring
• Big Talk
• independent music
• songwriting
• Boston

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Couch, Salt Lick Incubator, Lake Street Dive, Cory Wong

Books & works: Big Talk

Places: Boston

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