An Interview with the “Happiest Band on Earth” – The 502s

The 502s wrapped up their 2024 Americas tour – but we are still thinking about their stop at Boulder Theater

The 502s, deemed “the happiest band on earth” by fans, played a contagiously enthusiastic, energetic show at the Boulder Theater this summer. The 6-piece indie folk band used every inch of the stage, literally dancing to the beat of their own drums with a crowd matching the same energy.

The band released their sixth album, “The 502s,” in April of this past year. The release of this past album expanded their discography to include more than 50 songs, allowing the band to take a different “on-the-fly” performance approach.

“We have adapted our set list to have a list of songs that are upbeat and a list that are more mellow tempo. Lately, we have been playing based on the vibe of the room,” said Ed Isola (lead on vocals and banjo).

The band did not play the same set twice throughout their Americas/Canada tour this year, which wrapped up in September. The band is now on its fifth  European tour and will close out the year in Australia.

This artist-audience connection extends beyond reading the energy at shows. The band fosters its relationship with fans through an active email and Discord, an instant messaging and VoIP social platform.

“We have always put ourselves on equal footing with anyone who listens to our music or supports us in any way. We love connecting with fans and have done a lot of live-chat stuff. We are still figuring out how to use Discord to connect and the plan is to continue doing that and whatever makes people happy, ” Matthew Tonner (keyboard).

As for future plans, the band is “in it for the long game.”

“It is beautiful because every year, every tour, there is always something new – it is not something I could have understood years ago. It is more than counting blessings. Every year has gotten better. Being in it for the long game – and one could say six to seven years could be considered the long game – but for us, it is beyond that,” said Joe Capati (saxophone).

“The long game is most reflected in how we have approached our recordings and videos. Something that impressed me from the beginning is that there has to be a reason for us to put something out into the world. Everyone is 110% in it,” added Tonner.

The band recently announced the release of The 502s Live, 2024, available on a limited edition vinyl, and plans to record a new album in February or March 2025. 

Read more about the 502’s, view their tour schedule, and join their discord through their website.502 Band members: Ed Isola on lead vocals and banjo, Joe Capati on saxophone, Matthew Tonner on keyboard, Graci Phillips on guitar, Nicholas Dallas on bass, and Sean Froelich on drums.