Emily Fritz | a&e editor

When Dan Harris wanted a place to work on his songwriting, he would climb up into the small crawl space above his closet. Now, “Shallow Alcove” is more than a creative haven — it’s the name of the indie folk band that he fronts with his friends from college.

With the combined talents of Harris, Grace Krichbaum, Peter Groppe, Jack Harrington and Noah Dadaris, the Syracuse University students developed a whimsy, nostalgic sound that resurrects back-of-mind memories and somber life experiences.

Though the group has been active since 2019, their first taste of virality came in February 2024, when their single “Dream Song” (2023) picked up more than two million listens on Spotify. The success earned them a record deal and a booking agent.

“It’s a fickle thing. You have people in the palm of your hand for two seconds and some of those people stick around and then some of those people totally disappear,” Krichbaum said.

“We have gotten enough sustained exposure from that moment in order to build the kindlings of a career.”

From then on, the singer quit her day job and the band went on the road. Their previous tour, which was picnic themed, brought them to Pittsburgh’s Bottlerocket Social Hall last summer.

Although they loved exploring Randyland, touring was a big lifestyle adjustment.

Now back on the road after the Tuesday night debut of the slumber party themed tour in Boston, Shallow Alcove has their concert goers sitting on the floor instead of jumping in the pit, creating a cozy, intimate experience for fans.

Next Saturday, the group will return to Pittsburgh for a show at The Funhouse at Mr. Smalls, which can fit around 200 patrons.

Booking and Production Manager Derek January, ‘11, has seen a number of local and national artists come through the Millvale venue.

“The venue … is essentially like a rock room. [We book] bands that are on the come up,” January said. “The pit area in The Funhouse is carpeted, so I think that’s actually perfect for [their tour].”

In true slumber party fashion, Shallow Alcove will be sharing late night secrets — singing songs from their EP before its official release on May 21. Some of the singles will debut in the lead up, like “Pampa, TX” on April 30.

Senior music technology sound recording major Fletcher Zavadil compared the trial-run of unreleased songs to stand-up comedians testing out new jokes.

During his tenure as sound tech, he’s had the opportunity to watch artists of several genres take the stage.

“It’s a good way to get people excited for the new songs to come out,” Zavadil said. “With a new crowd every night … they’ll try new songs and see if they need to change anything.”

Krichbaum said that one of the best feelings as an artist trialing a song for the first time is the intent quiet of the crowd.

“A lot of times people will sing, but they’ll sing so quiet, and they’ll sing harmonies, which is adorable and the best feeling,” she told The Duke. “But the quietness is definitely a stamp of a good show to us.”

Tickets for the Pittsburgh show can be purchased online at https://mrsmalls.com at $15 per person in advance, or $20 per person at the door.

To follow along with updates for Shallow Alcove, they can be found on Instagram @shallowalcove or on streaming platforms.

Emily Fritz can be reached at fritze1@duq.edu.