“Friendship is the foundation” of In Color, your newest alt-pop-rock obsession.
Hailing from Nashville, In Color consists of Matthew “Matt” Hastings (vocals), Holden Clontz (bass), Miles Leaderman (drums), and Val Hoyt (guitar). Hoyt and Leaderman met in middle school, and both later attended Belmont University, where they eventually met Hastings and Clontz. All four were already involved in music, but the band ultimately came together during one fateful snowed-in weekend in 2024.
In Color released its debut single, “Headlights,” in 2025 and later signed with Big Loud Rock, which released the band’s EP Snow Day. The quartet stopped at The Atlantis in Washington, DC, as part of its first headlining tour.
Watch the official music video for “Headlights” by In Color on YouTube:
On August 25, the night began with a set from DC singer-songwriter Hana Eid, who filled The Atlantis with raw lyricism backed by electric guitar. Eid is known for singles “Dancing to The Smiths” and “Weird,” which collectively have amassed more than 4 million streams on Spotify. She released her debut album, Trains Running Backwards, in November 2025.
In Color opened with “Jet Lag Mouth,” a 2026 single, and the crowd immediately went feral. You could feel The Atlantis floor bounce from all the movement. The band followed with “High,” its most recent single. Hastings’s vocals felt dreamlike and nostalgic, while Clontz’s bass kept the song steadily pulsing forward.
“Cadaver” opens with a drumbeat reminiscent of The Neighbourhood’s 2013 hit “Sweater Weather” before shifting into a heavier rock track full of fuzzy guitars and slightly distorted vocals.
My personal favorite, “Time,” from the Snow Day EP, is a catchy pop-rock tune that feels like a cousin to the music of The Band Camino. The connection makes sense: Both bands came out of Tennessee and have toured together. “Time” sounds like it belongs over a montage in a 2000s teen movie. It’s a windows-down-in-the-summertime kind of song.
Watch a visualizer for “Time” by In Color on YouTube:
Hastings took some time to introduce the band and check that everyone was having a good time before introducing “Holiday Rd,” another Snow Day track, to a chorus of enthusiastic shouts. Like many In Color songs, it carries a sense of yearning and nostalgia that clearly resonates with the band’s audience. Its closing arpeggiated guitar riff has a softness reminiscent of John Mayer’s playing.
“We’re gonna need you on this next one,” Hastings told the audience. “Is everybody good tonight? Serious question, and I’m not even joking.”
He paused.
“Are you guys ready? What day is it today?”
Most of the crowd shouted back “Tuesday” — the correct answer — but Hastings and Hoyt laughed and agreed that they had heard at least three different responses. Hastings admitted he had thought it was Monday and wanted to thank everyone for coming out, even if he wasn’t entirely certain what day it was.
“I still would’ve been here!” someone shouted.
“That’s really sweet,” Hastings replied.
He paused again. “Seriously, thank you for showing up. This next one — we need you on this one. If you know it, sing it with us. It’s called ‘Big Deal.’”
The crowd’s enthusiastic response clearly pleased him.
For the acoustic “I Want You,” Hastings left the stage and performed from the middle of the crowd. A small circle formed around him as he serenaded the audience, while the other three members watched from the stage.
Toward the end of the set, Hastings reintroduced the band and explained that friendship had preceded In Color by years.
“We started this band a little over two years ago, but we’ve been best friends for, like, over six years — some of us longer,” he said.
All four had been involved in previous musical projects, and some had lived together. But Hastings recalled reaching a point where, individually, they were asking themselves, “What are we doing with our lives?”
“We always talked to each other because we’re best friends and roommates, so let’s give it up for friendship!”
The crowd cheered, and I turned to lovingly stare at the friends who had come to the show with me.
“That’s just truly one of the most special things that you can have, and we can have as individuals, is people that are curious about you,” Hastings continued. “It’s just so important to have your people.”
He encouraged audience members to turn to someone nearby and introduce themselves.
“Just say hey. We’re all here for the same reason: to just enjoy music.”
Hastings then recalled that two days after the band’s fateful snowed-in weekend, Hoyt texted the group a photo of the four of them together with the message, “Hey guys, we look really cool as a band.”
The crowd immediately began chanting “Val” over and over.
“Nooo, stop, please,” Hoyt said sarcastically while comically winking.
Then he grew more sincere.
“This band has changed my life. I never thought two years ago that we would be standing here playing to a full room in DC,” Hoyt said, pausing to look around the venue before adding fervently, “in a band together!”
Reflecting on how long he had known his bandmates, Hoyt returned to the evening’s central idea.
“Like you said, it’s friendship. It really is. Friendship is the foundation of this band, and we’re gonna see it through to the end.”
The band extended that gratitude to its crew. Hastings thanked Max at front of house — “He does it all. He’s our therapist, he’s our dad, he drives, and he’s good looking!” — as well as Jonah at the merch table and manager Brad.
In Color seemed genuinely overwhelmed with gratitude for both the people working alongside them and the fans filling the room.
“You guys wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for those people,” Hastings said.
Hoyt then made a prediction: “I’m gonna say it now — next time we’ll see you at the 9:30 Club!”
“We can probably do it if all of y’all bring one person,” Hastings replied.
“All of you bring 10 friends!” Hoyt shot back.
In Color followed with “Lighter,” an ode to a bond that refuses to disappear. Featuring Hastings on acoustic guitar, the song offered another moment when it was especially easy to see how much these four musicians simply enjoy playing together.
Watch a visualizer for “Lighter” by In Color on YouTube:
The band concluded the set with “Headlights,” its debut single, released in February 2025. It is remarkable how quickly In Color has built a following, but there is something fitting about a tight-knit group attracting an equally tight-knit fanbase.
With its driving guitar rhythm and dramatically beltable lyrics, “Headlights” gave the crowd one last chance to let loose. Hastings beamed as audience members sang the words back to him. At one point, he grabbed a fan’s phone and recorded himself with the crowd behind him.
In Color will spend the fall supporting Jutes, The Band Camino, and The Maine. If the response at The Atlantis was any indication, Hoyt’s prediction may prove correct: The next time In Color comes through DC, the band just might be playing the 9:30 Club.
Here are some photos of In Color performing live at The Atlantis on August 25, 2026. All pictures copyright and courtesy of Carolin Harvey.
Here are some photos of Hana Eid performing live at The Atlantis on August 25, 2026. All pictures copyright and courtesy of Carolin Harvey.
