We love a bit of lively indie-folk at Live to your Living Room, and internationally-acclaimed trio Good Habits are a whirlwind of passionate energy!
We caught up with Bonnie Schwartz, lead vocalist and cello player, to talk about Good Habit’s origin story, what the band’s plans are for 2025, and how to make your own wine!
How did being stranded in New Zealand during the pandemic inspire you to start making music?
Everything seemed to happen the mad way around. We headed out there on “the adventure tour,” and so much music was happening and being written while we were out there.
Doing that much gigging just forced out a lot of creativity and experimentation. It was such a valuable time, combining cello and accordion, and discovering what our chosen instruments could really do when writing. I think we took things to every possible extreme.
We started recording music because we realised pretty quickly that if we were going to be touring and gigging, we needed to have something tangible to give people.
2025 was a big year for you – you brought in Jen (Walinetski) on drums and took on an intensive festival and touring schedule. What was the highlight of the year for you?
We were genuinely taken aback by the response to our evolution.
Back in May, we made sure to have a mini-tour as a trio before the summer festivals, and our show at The Art Bank in Shepton Mallet had to be my highlight as I felt this response so strongly, and for the first time. My cheeks physically hurt from smiling so much!
When it’s your band and your life, it’s easy to think that the changes are going to feel like a much more controversial shift than they actually are. But in reality, the people we connect with have such open, embracing tastes – we just felt this huge sense of support for where we’re going.
One of the things we love about you is that you revel in optimism and looking on the bright side of life, when folk music can sometimes have a reputation for being a bit gloomy. Have you always been bright and sunny people, or is that something that’s come with playing in a band?
We’ve rolled out the phrase “existentially optimistic.”
The creative process of figuring out what message or story we want to put into a song – lyric-wise – isn’t always sunshine and flowers. It’s usually an overly existential look at a situation, or our relationship to something. But the way we present that – the styles and musical choices – does come from a place of playfulness.
And when we’re on stage, we’re usually filled with an excitement just to be there, and that hasn’t worn off.
We saw on your Facebook page that Pete (Shaw) has started winemaking as a hobby! What would be his top tip for anyone who wants to get into winemaking as their New Year’s resolution?
You’ll be pleased to know that our friends have said it’s the best wine they’ve ever tasted… For homemade!
Pete says, “Remember to take the hydrometer reading before you start the ferment, so you can calculate how strong your wine will be at the end. If you forget that, the first bottle can be quite an experimental experience…”
What else is on the cards for Good Habits in 2026?
An album is underway! And you feel like a broken record saying: “this next one is exciting because…” but it really is. There’s a fullness and a sense of playful expression that we’ve been able to explore, and we even teased some of the songs when we toured last summer.
We’re going to be delving fully into the world of this album, with lots of creative offerings to bring these new songs to life. Alongside the release in September, we’ll be taking the album across the UK, over to Europe, hopefully continuing into the Antipodean summer…
Find out more about Good Habits on their website: www.goodhabitsband.com
Good Habits take to the Live to your Living Room stage on Thursday 30 April. Buy your tickets for the show on our website and get ready to celebrate the very best of indie-folk!