There’s a new indie-pop group in the neighborhood! Moody Joody is moving in with “Little Blue House,” the latest single from the rising pop trio following “Loretta’s Last Call” and “Oops!”
With its groovier sound and nostalgic charm, “Little Blue House” marks an exciting new era for Moody Joody as they gear up for the release of their forthcoming album later this year.
We may not be able to keep up with the Joneses, but we’re catching up with Kaitie Forbes, Kayla Hall, and Andrew Pacheco to chat about the inspiration behind the new single, its mischievous music video, and what fans can expect next.
JUICE BOX PRESS: What is the story and inspiration behind your new single, “Little Blue House”?
KAITIE: The idea for this song came from some reflection on my teenage years and remembering my intense curiosity. I grew up in a town where everyone’s lives looked very similar and it was such a bubble that when I realized there was more out there…I became so intrigued. I got super into indie music and specifically have a vague memory of seeing a video of Passion Pit playing at a house party, full of the coolest people I had ever seen dancing. (I mentally named this the little blue house) I wanted to be a part of it SO BAD! I had always felt a little dorky and sheltered to be honest, and tried so hard to be a cool indie hipster kid that fit into that effortlessly cool lifestyle. (Still to this day striving to be that haha) This song comes from that yearning, that intense curiosity on how other people are living their lives, and doing things their own way. How I craved the freedom I felt others had. The little blue house for me represents that life I dreamed of. Indie music, exploration, rebellion, self confidence & true self-expression.
ANDREW: Musically, I was listening to “Genius of Love” by Tom Tom Club and thought it would be cool for us to have a song with a groove like that. Usually, I don’t start making a track until we’re all in the room together, but I was inspired and made a drum loop on my laptop that later became the foundation of “Little Blue House.”
JUICE BOX PRESS: The music video for “Little Blue House” is so nostalgic and playful. How did the concept come together, and did you have any favorite moments from the shoot?
KAYLA: Because the song has so many fun, quirky lines about the different characters in the little blue house, we wanted to create a video capturing all the little details in the lyrics. One of my favorite moments from the shoot is when we were shooting the backyard BBQ scene, to create smoke, someone had to blow out of their vape and fake the smoke scene for the grill because we were using fake food. Everything about the shoot was so unserious.
KAITIE: We wanted the video to feel nostalgic! We all grew up in the suburbs in the early 2000s & wanted to bring that world to life with some quirkiness, bright colors & comedic vibes. Getting a good bike ride in was my favorite part of the shoot!
ANDREW: There were a lot of fun moments, but I liked filming the garage band scene. It reminded me of rehearsing with my band when I was a kid.
JUICE BOX PRESS: You recently asked fans on Instagram to share their favorite lyric from the new track. We’re curious, what is your favorite lyric from the song, and what makes it stand out to you?
KAYLA: My favorite lyrics are probably “I try to take notes while keeping up with the joneses” and “heard they make great martinis / got shrimp on the barbie.” Growing up in the suburbs in the Midwest and watching all of the parents throw parties and wondering what they’re gossiping about inspired those lines and it felt very nostalgic to lean into those memories.
KAITIE: My favorite is “they come out in the morning with a coffee in hand” because no one knows how shocking it actually was for me to see someone drink coffee in my hometown Draper, UT growing up 😂
JUICE BOX PRESS: Your last three songs were co-written with GRAMMY-nominated hitmaker Scott Harris. How did that connection happen, and what has the collaborative process been like?
KAYLA: We love collaborating with Scott. Every time we write with him we just have a blast and I think there is just an organic chemistry there while writing. He really understands our vision and is truly so unbelievably talented, I love everything we create together.
KAITIE: Scott found us, I think, in 2021 and reached out to see what the band was up to, which led to us flying to NY in 2022 to work with him! We love working with Scott because he really encourages us to step outside our comfort zones and is supportive of our ideas & visions.
ANDREW: When it comes to Moody Joody, we generally don’t work with outside writers very often, but we hit it off with Scott immediately. He just understands our vision and helps push us creatively without sacrificing anything about the band that makes us who we are.
JUICE BOX PRESS: Your recent releases lean into a grittier, edgier sound compared to your debut EP. Who or what is driving the sonic inspiration for this next era?
KAYLA: I think we’ve grown so much as a band and our sound creating a full length record allowed us to really pull from a lot of different directions and inspiration because we wanted to create a sonically diverse record, top to bottom listening experience. When it comes to genre we like to play around – there’s grit and glitter and even some elements of folk, some of pop, we like to keep you guessing what mood we’re in and what the song calls for while writing.
ANDREW: We’ve just naturally started leaning more into organic sounds and leaving things a bit less polished. I think after we started touring, the energy of the live show somewhat influenced the recordings. Leaning more into live drums rather than programmed drums or samples, for example.
JUICE BOX PRESS: You just wrapped up touring with The Maine, Nightly, and Grayscale. What was it like to kick off this new era and test these new tracks out in a live setting? Do you have a favorite memory from the road?
KAYLA: Getting to sing the song “take me dancing” on stage with everyone at the end of the show is one of my favorite memories. It felt so rewarding and definitely added a new layer of motivation and inspiration for me personally, just dreaming up what these songs really could be live when it comes to performance. I’m daydreaming about what a full headline set looks like for us for sure.
KAITIE: We were so excited to add these new songs to the setlist. The best part is seeing the crowd sing back songs to you that just recently came out, or even crazier, haven’t even come out yet. This tour was so much fun it’s hard to narrow it down to one specific memory, but the show at House of Blues Orlando was just a perfect night. So many laughs, wandering around Disney Springs, the crowd was AMAZING, was a night to remember. 🙂
ANDREW: Yeah, it was great getting to play the new songs every night and also play some cities for the first time on this run. The Maine also had a moment in their set where they brought all the openers onstage, so it was fun getting to join them for that each night. Collin from Grayscale also came up to sing our song “Dream Girl” with us on the last night. We had a lot of fun hanging with the other bands!
JUICE BOX PRESS: What can fans look forward to next?
KAYLA: Big announcements coming very soon 🙂
KAITIE: It’s finally time for our debut album. <3
Amelia Cordischi, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Juice Box Press, is an accomplished digital marketing professional with over a decade of experience in media and communications. Her work has been featured in notable publications, including The Boston Globe. A communications graduate of Simmons University in Boston, Amelia served as manager of Simmons College Radio (“The Shark”), where she also launched and co-hosted her radio show, The Find.
In addition to her editorial work, Amelia is an established freelance photographer, with bylines in Blended Magazine and CelebMix, capturing artists and cultural moments across the music and media landscape. Her career began at WCVB-TV’s Chronicle, the ABC affiliate in Boston, where she gained firsthand experience in broadcast journalism and storytelling.
When she’s not taking photos from the photo pit, interviewing emerging artists, or crafting the next Juice Box Press feature, Amelia can be found thrifting and exploring the world of sustainable fashion.