McKenna Esteb and The Silent Film Club’s short career culminated in their final performance together at Flipside Music Festival in Garden City, Idaho, this past September. Coming together like most bands, through friendships, family, and knowing someone who knows someone, the group has spent the last year combining their unique backgrounds to create something even they were not expecting.

The combination of Esteb’s melodically soulful voice and Silent Film Club’s spectrum of influences made a graciously thick yet boisterous sound reminiscent of acts like Linda Ronstadt and Bonnie Raitt. Singles like “No Reservations” highlight the group’s sultry jazz influences. At the same time, “Mad Grxls,” the band's last release and one written in response to the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe V. Wade, has a more punk sensibility.

Although messy breakups dominate the narrative, McKenna Esteb and The Silent Film Club’s time together gives us a glimpse into music-making that is not generally highlighted— a creative output meant for a specific duration of time and knowing when that time has ended. The ephemera makes the music that much more impactful. After their final performance, we met McKenna Esteb and Silent Film Club members Darren Henry, Jesse Goodwin, Kyler Daron, and Andrew Chumich to discuss the band’s time together, their last single, and what is next for each member of the group.

AM: How did you start playing music together?

McKenna Esteb: Andrew and I played together in college. Actually, I met Darren first. We met the first week of college. We would play covers and hang out. We met Jesse on a music video shoot for “My Heart.” Jesse’s brother is Kyler; we adopted him into the production process and then the show process.

AM: Unlike many Boise musicians, you did not grow up in Idaho. How does that inform your music and the way you navigate the scene?

ME: Being respectful of everyone who has laid the groundwork here, getting to know their story, and getting to know them personally has helped me grow as a musician. Boise has a very cool arts scene already. It is cool to watch it grow. Everyone is accommodating; they want to help each other and collaborate.

AM: Your music mixes soul, pop, and modern rock. How did that sound develop?

ME: We all come from different backgrounds.

Andrew Chumich: I grew up listening to country mostly. Playing simple, three-chord songs and eventually worked my way into jazz. Some of our new songs have that influence. Playing with someone who can sing pretty much anything you put on her has opened up a lot of opportunities.

Jesse Goodwin: Listening to a lot of R&B and playing with another R&B group has influenced my drumming style.

Darren Henry: We come from an eclectic background of artists. The sound we are going after is a combination of those influences.

Kyler Daron: I am from a studio environment. Meeting these guys for the first time was cool to see everyone bringing their influences into recording sessions—a very eclectic, very cool mishmash of a bunch of genres.

ME: Each person's background influences the sound of the band. That has helped us make really cool songs. For example, our song “Go Go” starts as a jazz ballad but becomes more rock. Jesse suggested we bring in a more punk rock beat, which totally changed the song.

AM: Your single “Mad Gxrls” directly responds to the Supreme Court’s ruling on abortion rights. How did that song come together?

ME: After Roe V. Wade was overturned, we went to a protest together. It was a shi— day. No one was happy.

KD: We left the protest feeling like something was still left to do. The way we process things is through music. Writing the song was a natural step and something we could contribute.

ME: When you are a musician, you find a way to support a cause in the way you know how. All the proceeds from the song go to the Northwest Abortion Access Fund. As a musician, you feel like there is little you can do besides write music. That is what felt right at that moment.

AC: It raises the opportunity for conversation. It is a strong statement. Standing up for women is the most important thing, and this is a helpful way to initiate that.

ME: I did not feel like I had a voice growing up. I grew up in a church and did not know how to speak up for myself. This song felt cathartic on so many levels. Being able to speak for myself, for women, and for the anger that we feel.

AM: Has the song resulted in any difficult conversations?

ME: Personally? No. The people that I surround myself with are directly in our corner. They are like, “Fu— yeah.” I am waiting for someone to pick a fight about it.

AM: How does living in a state where the mainstream values do not align with your own affect your music?

ME: It is important to have liberal people in a conservative state; otherwise, that state will never change. It is essential to speak up and encourage those around you to speak up. I do not want to say it feels like a rebellion; standing up for the right thing should not be a rebellion. It just feels right.

AC: Boise is still affected by the state’s laws, but there is a community of people here who share our beliefs.

ME: There is a great community of people here trying to make a difference in the art and political scenes. It is cool to be a part of that. It is super special.

AM: Flipside Festival is your last performance together. What brought about the decision to end the band?

ME: Best breakup I have ever gone through. It was very mutual. We got burritos after and celebrated our wins together. This is the first full band I have had with me. It has been really special to create music with these people. We are all ready to make music with different projects. We want to explore backgrounds that feel comfortable to us instead of meshing everything together. We are ready to discover different outlets of music separately.

DH: We have different dreams and goals. It got to the point where we had to decide to either move forward together or do our own things. It made sense. We have our own projects, but we will still play together when we can.

ME: It is not over forever.

KD: We can still be friends.

AC: It needed to exist in the time that it did. The sun has temporarily set on that existence. Everyone in this group is growing; it is cool that we can all give each other permission to do that.

DH: George Harrison said, “All things must pass.”

ME: I have learned so much from being a part of this group. That is going to help me with whatever comes next. I could not have asked for a better group of guys. These are just the sweetest people. It has been a Fu— great year.

AM: What is next for each of you?

DH: I write some music, but I really like working with my hands. Instruments, guitars, pedals, and amps. That is where my interests are.

AC: He fixes all of my gear.

ME: Best handyman in Boise.

JG: I play in another group called Cigs Inside. It is R&B mixed with pop. Playing in that project and experimenting, getting better as a drummer, and learning more about other instruments.

AC: Silversmithing.

JG: Oh yeah, silversmithing. That is so metal.

ME: Dabble in some comedy too.

JG: I am only funny when I do not mean to be.

ME: I am making music with my good friend Alex Smith from College Level. We are creating an indie pop-rock project called Cactus Pete. I will continue to do solo stuff as well.

KD: I am a studio guy. I am going to keep producing records for people in Boise. Help people with barriers to entry give voice to their music.

AC: I have a solo project called Cross Country that I have been recording with Kyler because he is the best. Everyone should go to Dent Studios. I am hoping to have an album out in the next few months. I also just started playing guitar in a jazz duo.

This article has been edited and condensed.

McKenna Esteb and The Silent Film Club Say Goodbye

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