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NYC Indie Sleaze Pop Act Shallowhalo Shares Their 2023 Tour Diary
The band gives NYLON a sneak peek into their time on the road, which includes a special cameo from a Crunchwrap Supreme and a doll named Agatha.
Allyson Camitta is inspired by her friends. “Renaissance Affair,” the latest sugary-sweet synth pop release from Shallowhalo, the Brooklyn-based project of Camitta and Ezra Tenenbaum, in particular was inspired by the myth-making of nights out.
“We wrote ‘Renaissance Affair’ over the summer. I was going out regularly to a friend’s weekly DJ gig at Home Sweet Home in the Lower East Side and then took a picturesque trip upstate to the Renaissance Faire in Tuxedo, New York where we dressed up in medieval outfits and took a bunch of mushrooms,” Camitta says. “The song is a mashup of the pageantry and escapism of dressing up and going out in the city — the fantasy of it all.”
Camitta is also a photographer, documenting her nights out in New York City on her Substack Shallowhalo World; additionally, she hosts the DJ party We Take Manhattan with Charlie Barker. It’s this feeling — the magic of a scene, the coalescing of people hellbent on enjoying themselves and creating work that is exciting that inspires her.
“Whether I’m connecting with new people or meeting up with my friends, most of which are musicians, going out a lot is how I taking in new images, feelings, faces, and emotions,” she tells NYLON, “which gets channeled back into the songs I write with Ezra.”
So when Shallowhalo went on their first headlining tour in March across eight cities in support of their debut album No Fun — which culminates in a hometown show at Elsewhere in Brooklyn, New York on April 5 — Camitta brought her film camera, documenting her time on the road for a tour diary for NYLON.
Below, Camitta shares her favorite moments from tour (including late-night Crunchwrap Supremes) and talks to NYLON about how her life has changed since Shallowhalo released No Fun, her favorite accessories, and what it’s like to take their show on the road.
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Selling merch at Outer Limits Lounge in Detroit, Mich.
How do you prepare for a tour?
Our sets are very theatrical and I like to plan my looks ahead of time. For this tour, the fashion collective Lucky Jewel lent me some pieces, and my friend Carlisle at Serefina made me a gorgeous choker to wear. Another tour hack: practice singing through a straw. I do it before every show, it helps with pitch!
4/1
Pit stop somewhere in Ohio
Late-night Crunchwrap Supreme in Pittsburgh, Penn.
When you're going out, what kinds of people/moments inspire you to take photos?
Playing shows and taking photos are good ways to connect and meet strangers, especially when I’m feeling awkward and out of place. Whether I’m connecting with new people or meeting up with my friends, most of which are musicians, going out a lot is how I am taking in new images, feelings, faces, and emotions — which get channeled back into the songs I write with Ezra.
4/2
Kieran (The Rain) and Agatha at Cousin Danny’s in Philly, PA
Ezra Tenenbaum at Cousin Danny’s in Philly, Penn.
Your music has become a staple of NYC nightlife. How has it felt to take it to other cities?
Most of our shows on this tour have been at DIY spaces, which are the kinds of places I grew up going. Being from the suburbs of California, it felt like there was nothing interesting happening, and seeing live music meant so much to me. Especially when I meet younger kids at shows, it reminds me of how inspiring music can be when it hits you at the right moment.
4/2
Hanging with Laurel of Soul Chatter at Cousin Danny’s in Philly, Penn.
Your debut album has been out since may -- how has your life changed since then?
Releasing No Fun has brought a lot of FUN into my life. This is my first time fronting a band, and I never imagined opening for one of my idols Alice Glass at Warsaw, touring the country, learning how to DJ, and starting the party We Take Manhattan with my friend Charlie. It feels like anything is possible!
