Couch from Boston launched their debut album 'Big Talk' with the track “What Were You Thinking,” a passionate anthem of heartbreak and self-empowerment that combines insightful self-examination with a powerful, soul-stirring sound. Through their lyrics and music, the band welcomes listeners into that chaotic, vibrant space where truth leads to empowerment and heartbreak evolves into something dynamic, vivid, and life-affirming.
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Stream: “What Were You Thinking” – Couch
Experiencing heartbreak is one thing; confronting it years later and declaring, “You were wrong,” is another. Couch’s “What Were You Thinking” captures that moment – bold, courageous, wounded yet resolute. It’s the song you compose when you finally grasp a situation's reality and allow yourself to process its entirety – the loss, the confusion, the inequity, the betrayal. Then you sing through it, shout through it, and burn through it.
With shimmering guitars, cinematic horns, and a powerful vocal delivery that smolders with both hurt and intensity, “What Were You Thinking” erupts like a fiery, soul-stirring declaration – a remarkable reclamation of agency, power, and voice. Active since 2019, the seven-member band – Tema Siegal (lead vocals), Zach Blankstein (guitar), Jared Gozinsky (drums), Will Griffin (bass), Danny Silverston (keys), Jeffrey Pinsker-Smith (trumpet), and Eric Tarlin (saxophone) – infuse a lively, genre-blurring energy into their music, with each member contributing to Couch’s spirited, full-bodied sound. The lead single from the Boston-based band's forthcoming debut album, Big Talk (set to release on October 24), pulses with enticing emotional energy: It’s vibrant, cathartic, and engaging – the sound of a heart mending in real-time.
Big Talk – Couch
You call me here on business
I can't believe I'm sitting in your room
A real-life rock-and-roller
Tattoos along your shoulder
My mother wouldn't like you
You're blowing smoke
You blink your sleepy eyes
Kiss me for the first time
There goes my caution
I inhale your lies
You got me paralyzed
“‘What Were You Thinking’ reflects on a complex on-again, off-again relationship I had when I was 19/20 with a 26-year-old musician from a band I greatly admired,” explains lead singer Tema Siegel. “Soon after we met, he started love-bombing me; the power dynamic was concerning, but I slowly let my defenses down. Once he returned to touring, his affection disappeared… For the first time in my romantic life, I felt needy and insignificant.”
The song’s title and poignant chorus are directed at that older individual who blurred boundaries, broke trust, and walked away. Now at 26 herself, Siegel expresses her thoughts from a place of clarity and confidence. “Today, I’m the same age he was when we met. It feels empowering to confront him as a peer.”
What were you thinking
Handling a heart of 20 years like that
Twisting the knife in
Just to stitch it up
and pat yourself on the back
That newfound empowerment radiates through the band’s performance: While there’s heartbreak in this song, there’s also strength. You can sense it in every powerfully sung note, every bright, brassy inflection. “What Were You Thinking” doesn’t wallow; it rises. Siegel’s raw, emotive, and dazzling voice is surrounded by a band performing at their best. “You built up my appetite, then you’re shocked when I wanted more,” she sings, asserting herself in a chorus that aches while soaring all at once.
You’re blowing smoke
You blink your sleepy eyes
Try to kiss me like the first time
Stuck with my heart and
my head so unaligned
You got me paralyzed
While Couch has established their identity through joy, warmth, and groove, Big Talk signifies a broader emotional range—one that embraces life’s more complicated, murky feelings.
“Up until now, our narratives have primarily been optimistic, joyful, and heartfelt,” shares Siegel. “‘Big Talk’ encompasses more intricate and messy emotions. ‘What Were You Thinking’ is one of our first songs to adopt a more assertive, direct, and angry tone.” This honesty doesn’t diminish the band’s spirit; it enhances it, making the music feel even more vibrant and alive.
What were you thinking
Handling a heart of
20 years like that
Twisting the knife in
Just to stitch it up
and pat yourself on the back
Built up my appetite
Then you’re so scandalized
When I was hungry for more
What were you thinking
Handling
Boston's Couch established the mood for their first album 'Big Talk' with “What Were You Thinking,” an intense anthem of heartbreak and recovery that fuses incisive self-examination with powerful, soul-moving sound. Through their lyrics and melodies, the band welcomes us into that chaotic, vibrant realm where truth turns into strength and heartbreak evolves into something bold, vivid, and dynamic.