Happy Beat

Avan Lava are on their way back from Austin, Texas, where they spent a week playing planned showcases and pop-up shows at South by Southwest. They’ve been on the road for most of March in support of their new E.P., Make It Real, so a week in one city was a nice change of pace, according to frontman TC Milan.

“A festival like South by Southwest is awesome,” Milan says over the phone as the band drives through Tennessee. “When you’re on the road, you’re driving to each town and you don’t really have a break to sit down, check out the city, party a little bit. South by Southwest is a treat, because you stay in one hotel, you’re there for a whole week, and all of our friends from all over the place are there too, so you get to see the shows and chill out for a whole week and eat tacos.”

The band had been booked to play a few nighttime showcases during the festival, but it was the unplanned pop-up shows they played at smaller bars and clubs in the middle of the day where they had the most fun. “It was crazy how in the middle of the day, it just popped off—more so than the late-night sets, which you expect to be high-energy and fun,” Milan says. “These daytime shows were unexpected. People were already raging and ready to lose their shit.”

On their way back to New York, the band is indulging in a road tradition: “We started driving yesterday and we did our routine where we stop at a casino in every other town,” Milan explains. “We stopped in Memphis and gambled a little bit and lost a little bit.”

Gambling is just part of the game for an underground queer band, even one as established as Avan Lava. Despite the rise of alterna-pop acts in recent years, being visibly queer can still be restrictive when it comes to ‘making it.’ Avan Lava formed in 2010 and have been making fabulously danceable pop ever since, and while their’s may not be a household name yet, they’re working on it. Meanwhile, making a living as a touring band is a huge measure of success all on its own. The band’s core trio—Milan on lead vocals, Le Chev on bass and synths, and Ian Pai on drums and percussion—know that it’s important to pay your dues.

Milan’s highlight of South by Southwest was getting the chance to see Tove Lo, whose song “Habits” became a huge radio and remix hit last summer. Lo is a perfect example of a pop artist who released singles, E.P.s, and a full-length album and still had to wait for success. Not everyone blows up with their first single. “It’s a personal experience,” Milan says. “I have no idea what it’s like to have immediate success. There’s a lot to be said for paying your dues and learning how to do the damn thing. It’s exciting when you understand what it is that you have and what it takes to communicate what you’re trying to say. I’ve enjoyed every step of it, but everybody wants that Top 10 [single].”

That’s not to say Avan Lava haven’t had their moments. Besides being regulars on the New York party scene, they’ve also been flown to Paris to play for Lancôme during fashion week, where they were dressed by designers and lived lavishly for a week. The band also once played at David Lynch’s Parisian club, Silencio, a gig that Milan says gave them instant access to the city’s underground club culture. “I’m not even sure I fully have access to that in New York!”

That’s not to say that they are completely unfamiliar with New York’s party scene—in 2013, Avan Lava performed at BAM’s Pride party, Everybooty, and Milan, Le Chev, and Pai can regularly be seen at parties around downtown Manhattan and Brooklyn.

Avan Lava’s lighthearted, infectious dance music, what they call “joy pop,” is a distinct counterpoint to the moody sound many people associate with indie acts. “A lot of new music is great, but it’s a little internal, a little mopey and sad,” says Milan. “We’ve made that album.” The band’s first E.P., Vapors, was, as Milan puts it, “a little sleepy,” compared to the highly extroverted songs they’re making now. When they began writing dance music, they saw an immediate change in their audience’s reaction during their live shows. “We decided to just have the best time and keep it positive.”

Avan Lava aren’t afraid to imbue some punk energy into their shows, either. “We go 150 percent, and we’re not afraid to break everything. Every show feels like, this could be it! This could be the last one, and we’d be happy.”

While it hopefully won’t be their last show, the band’s current tour wraps up with their April 3 show at Bowery Ballroom. After that, Milan says there’s a video for their track, “Wanna Live,” helmed by Alex Hammer, Beyoncé’s lead editor making his directorial debut, due later this spring. “I’ve seen a clip and it’s fucking beautiful,” Milan gushes. They’re also hoping to release their full-length major label debut by the end of 2015. There’s also an Asian tour in the works, and this summer the band will play the Pride circuit around the U.S.

Their unfettered positivity makes Avan Lava perfect for Pride showcases. While many queer artists want to empower their audience by highlighting the struggles of queer life, that’s not what Avan Lava are about. “There’s another way, which is celebrating it,” Milan says. “I’m so happy to be part of this minority group. It’s the best thing for me.”

Milan says he and his bandmates generally prefer playing queer shows. “There’s a mutual celebratory vibe.” Of course, he has more selfish reasons for preferring to play for a queer crowd. “There’s also more chance for hookups,” he laughs.