Sleep Club stopped by KGNU for a live in-studio session, sharing songs from both their previous Bellows EP and their upcoming debut album, Dweller, due out this October. Between performances, the Boulder-based band talked with DJ Jules about the origins of Sleep Club, the evolution from a solo project to a full band, upcoming shows, and their excitement about playing The Fest in Florida. They also shared the artists inspiring them lately before closing the session with the song that started it all, “When I Close My Eyes.” (Air Date 6/22/26).
Listen to the studio session here:
Transcript:
DJ Jules: All right, we’re going to jump into my live in-studio performance. I’ve got Sleep Club here in the studio. Hey, guys.
Sleep Club: Hey, how you doing? Thanks for having us here.
DJ Jules: Thanks for being here. What brings you to KGNU today?
Sleep Club: We love the station. I’ve been recording music as Sleep Club for a while, but most people don’t know we’re from Boulder. We just got this live band together. I’m with Chris, our bassist, and Connor, our drummer. We just want to say what’s up to Boulder and Denver because we love this community.
DJ Jules: I love that. We love supporting local artists here at KGNU, so we’re so excited that you’re in the studio with us.
Before we get into your songs and today’s session, does Sleep Club have anything big on the horizon that you can share with the KGNU listeners?
Sleep Club: We were working on an EP that has since grown into what will be our debut album, and we’re looking at October for that to come out. We’ve really been grinding on that and trying to get a lot of shows booked beforehand so we have a good reception for it.
DJ Jules: Amazing. What are some upcoming shows you’ll be playing?
Sleep Club: We haven’t officially announced it yet, but it looks like we’ll be playing August 8 at High Dive in Denver. That’s going to be super exciting. Everyone keep that a secret. I know we’re on the radio, but that should be fun.
DJ Jules: KGNU listeners, you can write it down for yourself, but shh, okay?
Sleep Club: Just for everyone listening on the radio.
DJ Jules: Exactly. A little sneak peek for all the KGNU cuties. Awesome. We’re so excited to have you here.
Let’s jump into the music so we can share your sound and style with all of our listeners. What’s the first song you’re going to play for us today?
Sleep Club: We’re going to play “Bellows.” This is an older one, and it’s the title track off our last EP.
[Performance]
DJ Jules: Thank you. Awesome, guys. So that one was off the Bellows EP, right?
Sleep Club: Yes, ma’am. That is correct.
DJ Jules: And that was a big success for you guys?
Sleep Club: Yeah, that one’s done really well for us. It was one of the first songs I ever wrote, and I think it’s a fun blend of where we’ve been and where we’re going.
DJ Jules: I love that. That’s a nice little journey to commemorate. So what has it been like for you? How did Sleep Club get started, and how has it evolved over the years?
Sleep Club: It actually started because I have chronic insomnia. I went through a really bad spell and didn’t sleep for six days. It was really tough, but I released the first Sleep Club demo after those six days. Ironically, it taught me that I could do these cool things—and I could probably do them even better when I was actually sleeping. That’s how it started.
DJ Jules: My gosh. Six days of no sleep sounds a little cuckoo bananas. Are you sleeping these days?
Sleep Club: Yes, for the most part. We’ve made some good progress.
DJ Jules: That’s great progress. I love hearing that. Can you introduce everyone who’s in the studio with you today?
Sleep Club: I sure can. I’ll hand it over to Chris since he’s got a mic, and then I’ll talk about Connor.
Chris: Hi, I’m Chris. I play bass. I met Matt after moving to Denver this year, so I’m brand new to the city and this amazing musical community I’ve stumbled into. It’s been a lot of fun meeting new people, playing new songs, and it’s just been incredible.
DJ Jules: Love it.
Sleep Club: Then we’ve got Connor on drums. He was in my previous band, The High Lines. If you’ve been around the Boulder indie-pop scene, we were really invested in that for about four years. Connor and I have been playing together for quite some time. When I started this band, there was really no other choice. I had to bring him into this one.
DJ Jules: I love that. You find a good one, and you bring him with you, right?
Sleep Club: Yep. No other options.
DJ Jules: No doubt about it. Chris, how did you find these two? How did this trio come together?
Chris: I actually answered a Facebook ad Matt had posted. It didn’t really say what the band was, but I messaged him and said, “Let’s meet up at a bar and see if we vibe, if we like the tunes, and if our visions align.” It was the easiest decision I’ve ever made. I love the songs and the music, and these two are phenomenal musicians. It makes life incredible.
DJ Jules: That’s so great. You never know with those random moments where you don’t have much information, but you just decide to go.
Chris: You just take a risk.
DJ Jules: Right? Our parents told us not to meet strangers from the internet, but look at you guys now.
Chris: If it doesn’t work out, you still have a cold beer.
DJ Jules: Exactly. It could be way worse, and it wasn’t. Now you’re here today. I love that.
You guys are going to play two songs back to back. What’s the first one?
Sleep Club: This first one is called “Dweller.” It’s the title track off the upcoming album. Then we’ll get into another track called “Cold Hard Cash.”
DJ Jules: Let’s go.
[Performance]
DJ Jules: There we go—”Cold Hard Cash.” That one’s coming off your upcoming project, right?
Sleep Club: Yes, ma’am. I think that’ll be the second or third track.
DJ Jules: Amazing. Ideally that’ll be released in October, but it sounds like there’s some other exciting stuff happening then. What’s taking place?
Sleep Club: We’re going down to Florida to play The Fest, which is a punk festival. We’re really excited. It’ll be extra fun because I don’t really know what genre we are, so we might be a bit of a left-field choice for that festival. I’m excited to get in front of some new people.
DJ Jules: Amazing. How has getting in front of new audiences been for the band?
Sleep Club: It’s been really weird. My only experience in past bands was starting locally, playing house shows and DIY venues, and slowly growing. This band really took off about a year ago and got big online. To me, that’s not the ideal way to grow because people don’t know where you’re based. We’re in Boulder, and we want to be more involved here.
DJ Jules: I love that. I’m so glad you could be here at KGNU.
If you’re just tuning in, we have Sleep Club live on the air doing an in-studio performance. They have one more song for us, but before we get into it, I want to know who you all are listening to these days. When you put on music, what do you reach for?
Connor: Mercury.
DJ Jules: All right. I don’t know what that is, but it sounds sick.
Chris: I found this great band from New York called The Puritans. It’s straight-ahead rock and roll. It’s awesome.
Sleep Club: I’ve been all over the place. I’ve rediscovered Motörhead over the last month. I’ve also been on a Run the Jewels and Beastie Boys kick, and I’ve been really into the band Nothing. I’ve just been scatterbrained.
DJ Jules: Love it.
Chris: And, of course, my first love—Jimmy Buffett.
DJ Jules: We have a Parrothead in the house!
Chris: I’m a true-blue Parrothead.
DJ Jules: You don’t look like the typical one.
Sleep Club: Just for everyone’s reference, Chris is wearing a beanie. He’s bald, he’s 200 pounds, and he looks awesome.
DJ Jules: Zero pastels. No button-up shirt.
Chris: I’m a massive Parrothead.
DJ Jules: Good for you. Break the stereotype. Matt, what about you? Who are you listening to these days?
Sleep Club: I really love noisy bands. There’s a band called Her New Knife that I really love. They make me feel very unsettled, which maybe isn’t the best thing to say about a band, but they sound really cool.
Connor’s motioning at me—Prize Horse. Big shout-out to those guys. We all love Prize Horse. They’re from Minneapolis and have been a huge inspiration for my guitar playing.
Another band called Greet Death is probably my all-time favorite. The name might make you think they’re death metal, but they’re not. It’s really beautiful music. No matter what you’re into, you should check them out.
DJ Jules: I love hearing what everyone is listening to so I can keep diving into new music and be scatterbrained as well.
We have Sleep Club here on KGNU’s Afternoon Sound Alternative, and we have one more song for all the KGNU listeners. What are we getting into for our last one today?
Sleep Club: We’re going to play “When I Close My Eyes,” which was the first proper Sleep Club song I ever released and really got this whole thing started.
[Performance]
