‹‹ Indie 102.3 Sessions

For Keeps Continues Denver’s Indie Pop Legacy

Listen Now
<p>(Photo: CPR / Daniel Mescher)</p>
<p>For Keeps</p>

Denver band For Keeps started as a collaboration between co-lead singers Merideth Pryor and Cody Witsken while teaching in China. Now the band is a five-piece that writes fun and light-hearted indie pop.

More from OpenAir Sessions:

​Pryor and Witsken -- now engaged -- and the other three members of For Keeps stopped into the CPR Performance Studio to play some songs from their debut "The People We Let In" as well as some new material.

They also spoke with Alisha Sweeney about their self-described "BFF pop," the influence of fellow Denver bands Dressy Bessy and Apples In Stereo and their upcoming acoustic tour in South America.

Stream the session above and read interview highlights below.

Singer and guitarist Cody Witsken on the band's origins:

"We moved to China to teach English for a year. I had been a bass player around Denver and Fort Collins for several years before we left. And when we got to China we found open mics and stuff and looked into buying a bass or something, but an acoustic guitar was a whole lot cheaper. So I started learning to play acoustic guitar and we started writing songs together."

Keyboardist Justine Sullivan on the band's indie pop influences:

"When we were first getting started and Cody was texting us being like: 'Hey let's start a band.' We were like: 'Great! What should we sound like?' Those were on the list: Los Campesinos, Dressy Bessy, Apples In Stereo."

Songs performed:

  • "Tiny World"
  • "Smile And Continue"
  • "Ponyboy"
  • "The World Is A Terrible Place"
  • "No Left Behinds"
  • "Friends"

"Smile And Continue"

"Ponyboy"

"The World Is A Terrible Place"

"No Left Behinds"