NASHVILLE, Tenn. — They would describe themselves as your van-life buddy’s second favorite folk band.
The band TopHouse is a little more successful than that.
“I see us as a rock band,” says lead vocalist Joseph Larson. “Which is funny because we are nothing like a rock band. But, the way we approach it, especially the live performances, we always ask ourselves, ‘how much energy can we put into this?”
Turns out, they put in a lot of energy and effort. It’s turned into professional success. TopHouse was founded in 2015 in Missoula, Montana. The group consists of four Montana boys, hailing from Butte and Kalispell, who just love playing music together.
“It was between “TopHouse”, or “Irish Jujitsu,” laughts mandolin player Jesse Davis. “Thankfully, the women in our lives guided us towards “TopHouse.”
Larson, a Butte native, leads with vocals. Davis was raised in Kalispell, and plays guitar and mandolin. Joining them is William Cook, a Butte native, who plays violin. Another Butte, America son, Andy Lafave, rocks the piano keys. They moved to Nashville in 2019, with their instruments, and a dream on their minds.
“In my opinion, we’ve made it,” Larson says. “We’ve all gotten to quit our day jobs. That was always kind of the goal. I don’t want to work a side job and do this, and that is where we are at.”
No side jobs are needed when you make your Grand Old Opry debut, which the band realized that dream this past fall.
Even by the pure numbers, TopHouse has made it. Last year alone, just on Spotify, the folk band had 1.2 million listeners, 13.6 million streams, and were heard in nearly 180 countries around the world.
Through all that professional success, the members of the band still long for home, and hold an eternal longing for Montana.
“I didn’t know that mountains are a special thing, growing up in Montana,” Davis says. “I’m grateful that I moved away, so I can appreciate it a lot more.”
Larson agrees.
“I’m always trying to do things in Nashville to keep my Montana card, like I’ll go fly-fishing in the Cumberland. There is no trout in there, but I’m going to do it anyways.”
TopHouse will be releasing new music soon, and will begin to their nationwide tour at the end of February 2026.
They will also be playing shows in Montana, including an announced date in Helena, at Lewis and Clark Taproom, on Saturday, July 11, 2026.