Artist to Watch: Boston’s Couch Embrace ‘Big Talk,’ Brash Emotions, & Bold Sounds in “What Were You Thinking”

Boston’s Couch set the scene for their debut album ‘Big Talk’ with “What Were You Thinking,” a fiery anthem of heartbreak and reclamation that blends sharp self-reflection with raw, soul-stirring sound. Through their words and their music, the band invite us into that messy, radiant space where honesty becomes empowerment and heartbreak transforms into something bold, colorful, and alive.

 follow our Today’s Song(s) playlist

Stream: “What Were You Thinking” – Couch

It’s one thing to get your heart broken; it’s another to look that heartbreak in the eye years later and say, “You were wrong.”

Couch’s “What Were You Thinking” is that moment – bold and brave, wounded and unflinching. It’s the song you write when you finally see a situation for what it was, and let yourself feel the full weight of it – the loss, the confusion, the imbalance, the betrayal. And then you sing through it, belt through it, burn through it.

With glistening guitars, cinematic horns, and a molten vocal performance that smolders with pain and passion, “What Were You Thinking” is a fiery, soul-stirring eruption – a stunning reclamation of agency, power, and voice. Active since 2019, the seven-piece 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) – bring a vibrant, genre-blurring energy to everything they play, each member’s part adding to Couch’s spirited, full-bodied sound. The lead single off the Boston-based band’s upcoming debut album Big Talk (out October 24^th) surges with seductive emotional energy: It’s colorful, cathartic, and compelling – the sound of a heart healing in real time.

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’ is a reflection on a complicated on-again, off-again relationship that I was in at 19/20 with a 26-year-old musician in a band that I deeply admired,” lead singer Tema Siegel explains. “Shortly after we met, he began love-bombing me; the power dynamic gave me pause, but I gradually let my guard down. Once he began touring again, his affection vanished… For the first time in my romantic life, I felt needy and small.”

The song’s title, and its burning, aching chorus, are aimed directly at that older presence who blurred lines, broke trust, and walked away. Now 26 herself, Siegel sings from a place of clarity and confidence. “Today, I’m the same age he was when we met. It feels so empowering to tell him off like 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 empowerment radiates through the band’s performance: There’s heartbreak in this song, yes – but also strength. You can hear it in every belted note, every bright, brassy exhale. “What Were You Thinking” doesn’t wallow; it rises. Siegel’s voice is raw, emotive, and incandescent, surrounded by a band firing on all cylinders. “Built up my appetite, then you’re so scandalized when I was hungry for more,” she sings, putting her foot down in a chorus that aches and soars 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 have built their name on joy, warmth, and groove, Big Talk represents a tonal expansion – one that embraces life’s messier, murkier emotions.

“Up until this point, our stories have been predominantly optimistic, joyful, and heartfelt,” Siegel shares. “‘Big Talk’ embraces more complex and messy emotions. ‘What Were You Thinking’ is one of our first songs to take a more assertive, direct, and angry tone.” That honesty doesn’t dampen the band’s spirit – it strengthens it, making this 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 a heart of 20 years like that

Couch call Big Talk their most collaborative, honest, and expressive work yet – a record that blends pop, R&B, funk, soul, and rock in dazzling, expansive fashion. With “What Were You Thinking,” they set the tone with an anthem of autonomy and emotional courage. “I hope this song emboldens people in unhealthy relationships to ask their partner for more thoughtful communication,” Siegel says. “If they can’t achieve that together, I hope they feel the strength to walk away.”

This song is a stunner – searing, bold, breathtaking. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself singing along, fists clenched, dancing through the ache. Couch are coming in hot, and “What Were You Thinking” is a thrilling first taste.

And the band aren’t slowing down, either. Hot on the heels of “What Were You Thinking,” they have released Big Talk‘s second single, “On The Wire,” a bubbly, brutally raw reckoning out now on all streaming platforms. “In ‘On the Wire,’ I reflect on how unfair I can be toward the people I love when they do something I dislike,” Siegel explains. “Though the lyrics describe being upset with others, the real frustration is with myself. The chorus is me calling myself out for being dramatic and intense.” It’s a self-aware, sharp, and irresistible anthem – and another powerful taste of what’s to come.

Big Talk arrives October 24, 2025, introducing a bolder, brighter, more colorful, and exciting side of Couch while setting the stage for what promises to be an electrifying new era. It’s an exhilarating moment to be a fan — and the band themselves are buzzing with the same anticipation as they gear up to share these songs with the world.

In the meantime, dive into our Q&A below to learn more about the band’s journey, their creative process, and the making of Big Talk.

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 a heart of 20 years like that

— —

:: stream/purchase What Were You Thinking here ::

:: connect with Couch here ::

— —

Stream: “What Were You Thinking” – Couch

A CONVERSATION WITH COUCH

Zach Blankstein: We’re a Boston‑based band that blends pop, R&B/soul, rock, and funk. We just announced our debut album Big Talk (out 10/24) and the Big Talk Tour (Nov-March), which stops in some of our favorite cities and venues across the US and Europe!

Blankstein: The first summer we started writing together – before we were even officially a band – I had a bad concussion and was told to rest in the dark on my couch. The band would come over, and we’d spend hours quietly writing music there. Those early hangs, and the songs that came from them, all happened on the couch.

Tema Siegal: “What Were You Thinking” is sung to an older guy from a band I admired when I was 19. Shortly after we met, he began love-bombing me; the power dynamic gave me pause, but I gradually let my guard down. Once he began touring again, his affection vanished, and we entered into a painful cycle of poor communication and “flimsy reassurance” – briefly interrupted when he dove into another relationship. For the first time in my romantic life, I felt needy and small. It felt like he’d worn me down and was keeping me around to use at his convenience.

Today, I’m the same age he was when we met. It feels so empowering to tell him off like a peer. In retrospect, I’m appalled at how he brought himself to a relationship, especially with a younger person and a fan. He was selfish and manipulative, and he “handled a heart of 20 years” carelessly. The question, “what were you thinking,” is directed at him.

Blankstein: Big Talk is about stepping into a brighter, bolder, and more honest version of ourselves. “What Were You Thinking” connects the energy of our earlier music with a new, more expansive sound, and through Tema’s story, hints at the tonal shift that shapes the album.

Siegal: Up until this point, our stories have been predominantly optimistic, joyful, and heartfelt. Big Talk embraces more complex and messy emotions. “What Were You Thinking” is one of our first songs to take a more assertive, direct, and angry tone.

Blankstein: Big Talk feels like the fullest expression of who we are right now. It’s the most collaborative we’ve ever been, with every member’s voice and sensibilities woven into the music. Mixing genres has always been part of what we do, but this record takes that even further – and with more intention – than ever before. Reimagining these songs for the tour has been such an exciting process, and we can’t wait to share both the studio and live versions with everyone this fall!

Siegal: I hope “What Were You Thinking” emboldens people in unhealthy relationships to ask their partner for more thoughtful communication. If they can’t achieve that together, I hope they feel the strength to walk away.

Writing this song has made me feel less ashamed for getting stuck in such an overtly bad relationship. It’s really hard to extract yourself when you’re in the midst of it, especially when you’re young and don’t have much to compare it to. It feels incredible to release these feelings I couldn’t define and express at 19 and 20.

— —

:: stream/purchase What Were You Thinking here ::

:: connect with Couch here ::

— —

Stream: “What Were You Thinking” – Couch

— — — —

Connect to Couch on
Facebook, 𝕏, TikTok, Instagram

Discover new music on Atwood Magazine

 © Billy Landers x Prophet Media

:: Today’s Song(s) ::

 follow our daily playlist on Spotify

:: Stream Couch ::