From dreaming of playing on big stages to lighting up TV screens on late nights, Momma returns for a headlining performance in Philadelphia as they wrap up the first leg of their summer tour.
The New York-based rock outfit released their fourth studio album, Welcome To My Blue Sky, just a little over a month ago. The band’s co-founders and main songwriters, Allegra Weingarten and Etta Friedman, say the album centers on two themes: being stuck between two places, at home and constantly on the road, and growing up.
“We’ve like found our sound because I think we’re just a lot more confident now and I think that this record, we truly wrote for ourselves,” Weingarten said.
The two band members grew up in California before landing in New York as they looked to pursue the band full-time. While for most, the cross-country replanting of roots would be tough, the duo quickly took to the East Coast, appreciating how many people in the area tend to cut to the chase.
“I feel like people are really direct on the East Coast in a way that I really appreciate and it’s not mean,” Friedman said. “It’s literally just getting to the point like, ‘I’ll help you out, but I’m also going about my day.’ When I was living in LA, I felt like if I was to ask someone for directions, most likely there would be someone who would be like, ‘Um, I don’t know,’ or like, ‘Move on.’ ”
Building on their success
Momma built off the sound established on their third record, Household Name, which featured fuzzy guitar tones reminiscent of ‘90s alternative rock from the Smashing Pumpkins and Veruca Salt, and helped the band reach new audiences. It was named one of the best albums of 2022 by Consequence and Paste Magazine.
“There was a sense of like, ‘OK, this is the first time we know a lot of people are going to hear about us,’ and that was definitely looming in the writing process,” Weingarten said. “There was more of a conscious decision back then to be like, ‘OK, well, we want to make a really big statement. So how are we going to do it?’ And this time around, I really don’t think we were thinking about how people were going to receive it. We literally were just writing songs that we liked and we wanted to listen to.”
The two began crafting songs as kids growing up in California around a decade ago, releasing their first EP in 2016 with songs that featured them playing every instrument. Since then, the band has filled out and solidified its lineup with drummer Preston Fulks and bassist/producer Aron Kobayashi Ritch. A couple of months ago, the band played their first late-night TV gig on Jimmy Kimmel Live.
“We’ve just had the coolest experiences in the world that we never thought we would have and people that we really respect and admire respect and admire us,” Weingarten said. “That’s all I’ve wanted since I was like 12 years old, to just be someone that people respect and be a musician that people respect.”
The massive highs of the band’s recent success have also been coupled with the stresses that touring brings, including the band’s headlining show in 2022 at Johnny Brenda’s, which Weingarten described as a “nightmare night” fueled by nearly two months of nonstop shows — and maybe a few too many drinks at the bar.
“There was just a lot going on at one time, like so many different things were happening and there was like a lot of heightened emotions,” Weingarten said. “I think that there was never a point where we were not going to continue as a band, but I think like everything that could have tested us to our limits did happen, and it did test us.”
Those growing pains were numbed through the band’s work ethic. Friedman said there were difficulties, but it felt like “we were just always going to be doing this.” That bond between the two is reflected in the pinky promise seen on the band’s new album cover.
“It’s really awesome to see where we are now. It’s not like we ever expected anything to happen really. We definitely always wanted to since we were kids,” Friedman said. “We never expected to be here, but also we were just always going to be working to get here regardless.”
And with a bigger room to play in this go-around, the band hopes to earn some additional “Philly street cred” Friday night.
“All of the people I know who are from Philly or the surrounding area, they ride for that shit like it’s nobody’s business,” Friedman said. “That is their … city, so respect on that.”
Momma plays tonight at Union Transfer, with Wishy opening. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the show kicks off at 8. Tickets start at $39.70.
