Theres no mistaking Echo Mars for anything but arockstar.
Even so, Mars defiant punk energy can draw some stares from the neighbors back home.
All these fucking ladies with their labradoodles, they say.
Thus Love in Brooklyn (from left): Mars, Blank, Juleen, and RacineGriffin Lotz for Rolling Stone
I think they see in me an old version of themselves.
No one looks at me in New York, they add with a grin.
So I got comfortable with people looking at me to a certain degree.
They gave themselves their first tattoo at 14 using a sewing needle and pen ink.
It was just three polka dots on my hand.
That shit got so infected, it fell right out.
It was just me and my mom, and we had a pretty intense time, they say.
We didnt have a lot of money….
It wasnt like I cut and ran.
But I had to move to a more populated space.
They hung out at a record shop and joined a band that went nowhere.
When that didnt pan out, Mars moved again, to Brattleboro, planning to go back to school.
Almost immediately after arriving, they met Racine and recognized a kindred soul.
We were all convinced we were never going to play again.
As soon as they were able to tour again, though, things started speeding up for the then-trio.
We were trying to be as loud as possible, Mars says.
For all of 2022, we playedMemoriallike a punk record….
Somehow these glittery, doomy songs translated as hype.
But they found themselves back down to a duo after van Osdol quit the band in 2023.
Being away from home, not making money, the emotional, spiritual, and physical toll … Theyre like, I love you so much, but I cant do this anymore.
I mean, that takes a lot of bravery.
(We started as a math-rock band with some very proggy tendencies, Blank says.
Then it turned into synth-pop, Juleen adds.)
I remember watching them play and I turned to Echo, Racine says.
Im like, I will do anything in my power to get Ally to join our band.
The two pairs of BFFs sit around a booth, finishing each others stories and smiling a lot.
It is one of the most joyous musical experiences that Ive ever had in my life, Juleen agrees.
Ive been houseless many times in my life, they say matter-of-factly.
I was when I moved to Brattleboro, and I am again now….
I live out of my fucking car.
Ive been living out of it since June.
And I will be, likely, until we leave for tour in January.
God, its such a bitch, Mars continues.
You have to want it to keep doing it.
Statistically, bands break up.
Its really hard to do….
The difference is just that we kept going.
But thank you for being here.
Were having a lot of fun, Mars adds before launching into the next song.
This is our reason to live.
