Eclectic indie-folk band Montclair talks about their debut album and new music on the way.

Words by Megan Eppolito. Photo by Davis Mincher.

Austin-based indie-folk band Montclair has been taking the world by storm with their debut album Heart Is Alive, which was released in April 2025. They made their debut performance at Austin City Limits Music Festival (ACL) on Saturday at the Tito’s Stage. With the increased momentum, the band has been creating more music and strengthening their collaboration.

Montclair is made up of Casen Hutton (guitar and vocals), Anna Connolly (Bass and vocals), Jackson Gillard (drums), and Clay Buekhard (guitar). The band describes their sound as collaborative, translating the work they put in for the listeners. “We definitely sound like a band where you can tell [the music] is really live that we created together. I think it translates to [fans at a show], we’re playing off of each other which is really fun.” Connolly says. “The definition that we’ve been getting from a lot of outlets is eclectic-indie-folk,” Gillard explains. 

That eclectic sound reflects the experiences they built throughout the years. Their album Heart Is Alive encapsulates where they are at in their career. “I saw Lorde last night, and she was explaining how an album is very much a document of your life, and she was talking about how she is independent and going forward and has this giant expansive field in front of her of what she can be and how the next album will be a document of where she ends up next,” Gillard says. “I think our album was very much a document of our first five years together as a band, what it took to get off the ground, what it took to understand our work together as a unit. I think everything in front of us is that expansive field. We get each other a little better now; there are infinitely more possibilities now than there were.”

The understanding and expansive field includes more writing and song releases in the works. “We were just in the studio last weekend, so we are recording some new music that we are excited to have.” Connolly shares. “We’ll just keep writing together as a band. Definitely more releases on the way.”

Montclair is a band that expresses authenticity and a united sound. They create an electric environment for music lovers to enjoy. Seeing Montclair live is an opportunity worth taking. The indie-folk sound and strong chemistry are what make this band highly appreciated. With more music on the way, this is a band listeners should keep on their radar. 

Keep up with Montclair:

Website / Spotify / Apple Music / Instagram / TikTok / YouTube