Bo Staloch About ‘The Garden’ Which Blooms with Emotion and Storytelling
Bo Staloch has always been surrounded by music. With roots in both Texas and Tennessee, he credits Austin’s vibrant music scene for shaping his artistic journey. Now his EP The Garden is out, and he revealed the details behind creating this project and personal learnings and memories from his career in a press conference. Get to know the up-and-coming artist of the Folk and Americana scene.
The Garden
With the release of his latest EP, The Garden, Bo Staloch invites listeners into an emotional journey, one that is raw, introspective, and deeply personal. The two lead singles, Give It a Break and The Garden, set the tone for this exploration, blending folk, Americana, and rock influences to create a cinematic and heartfelt experience. Bo’s music has often been described as cinematic, and he recently began associating his sound with a personal symbol—the willow tree on his family’s farm in Minnesota.
“I remember losing myself but also finding myself in that tree. I think, subconsciously, I try to recreate that feeling every time I write a song.”
The Art of Observation and Power of Live Music
Staloch’s lyrics often carry an introspective quality, shaped by both personal experiences and observations of the world around him. He believes that at the core, people are more similar than they realize, and his music serves as a way to connect those shared experiences. His connection to peaople also transltes to live shows. Performing live is where Staloch feels most connected to his audience. He recalls a pivotal moment early in his career, watching the audience at a show in Austin and realizing that their connection to the music was something he wanted to chase forever.
“A lot of my inspiration comes from just watching people—whether it’s at an airport or a coffee shop, there are so many stories happening around you all the time”
The Headspace Behind The Garden
When asked about the mindset he was in while creating The Garden, Bo Staloch shared that songwriting often happens subconsciously for him. Give It a Break was written on his last tour, born from the emotions of a recent breakup and the highs and lows of live performances. “The second half of the song has this huge release of energy—it’s a declaration that I’ll be fine, and hopefully, one day, I will be,” he explains.
The title track, The Garden, was the first song written for the project, created in a family home in Minnesota. Inspired by his surroundings and the presence of his manager’s young daughter, Lola, Staloch wrote the song with thoughts of his future children in mind. “You can actually hear her laughing in the background of my demo,” he says, emphasizing how the song captures themes of family, love, and letting go of fear.
Q&A
What is the best piece of advice you have gotten from another songwriter that has helped you in your career?
“It kind of goes back to whatever your writing is what you’re supposed to be writing. The advice actually came from a filmmaker. I told him that I have been having these sessions where I’m making songs I don’t really like. He reminded me that art is expression and that your expression comes from a real place. As a writer that doesn’t sit down and think about what he’s writing but just writes, it is super important to know whatever you’re writing and whatever your making is the music you’re supposed to be making. You shouldn’t put pressure on it and shouldn’t overthink it.”
Experimenting with Sound and Pushing Boundaries
While much of Stalocht’s music sits comfortably within folk and Americana, Give It a Break stands out with its percussion-heavy, rock-driven energy. “A year ago, I never thought I’d make a song like that,” he admits. “The inspiration just came from listening to different music and seeing different live performances.” The EP as a whole, he says, is a journey—some songs are stripped back and delicate, while others embrace a heavier sound. This dynamic range is what makes The Garden feel so personal and immersive to him.
“If something feels right, it probably is,” he says. “Whether that’s in songwriting—like if you want to add a piano, you should add a piano—or in life, relationships, and friendships. Your gut feeling is usually right.”
Final Thoughts
Choosing The Garden as the EP’s title felt natural to Staloch. “It was the first song that truly felt like me,” he shares. The metaphor of a garden—a space where listeners can place themselves and interpret their own emotions—felt like the perfect encapsulation of the project. At the core, The Garden is about embracing vulnerability. Staloch hopes that listeners will allow themselves to feel whatever they need to feel through his music. “I want people to let down their guard and connect with it in their own way.”
With The Garden, he has crafted a deeply personal, moving piece of work—one that offers listeners a space to reflect, heal, and grow, much like the roots he’s planted in his own music.
