{"id":69222,"date":"2026-07-24T18:08:28","date_gmt":"2026-07-24T18:08:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/musicianvoice.com\/index.php\/2026\/07\/24\/why-do-musicians-keep-performing-on-couches\/"},"modified":"2026-07-24T18:08:28","modified_gmt":"2026-07-24T18:08:28","slug":"why-do-musicians-keep-performing-on-couches","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/musicianvoice.com\/index.php\/2026\/07\/24\/why-do-musicians-keep-performing-on-couches\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Do Musicians Keep Performing on Couches?"},"content":{"rendered":"


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\n\tIf you\u2019re a lamp or a bed, we have bad news for you. There\u2019s a new kid in town, and it has four legs, a pair of armrests, and is a major supporter of vertical posture. That\u2019s right: couches. These bad boys are the new in-demand stage prop at concerts, with more and more musicians incorporating the piece of furniture into their set \u2014 from Lily Allen<\/a> to Charli XCX<\/a> to Hilary Duff<\/a>. We aren\u2019t sure why, exactly, so allow us to investigate.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tCouches have always had a strong presence in song lyrics \u2014 just think of Jeff Buckley\u2019s \u201cSo Real,\u201d Paramore\u2019s \u201cAll I Wanted,\u201d the Arctic Monkey\u2019s \u201cDo I Wanna Know?\u201d and Snail Mail\u2019s \u201cc. et. al.\u201d (in the case of most of these tracks, couches are good for sleeping or spilling drinks on, especially when you\u2019re wasted). But appearing onstage so frequently is a new thing. We got used to seeing beds a lot: Sabrina Carpenter fittingly sang from a canopy one during the sensual \u201cBed Chem<\/a>\u201d on the Short n\u2019 Sweet Tour<\/a>, Taylor Swift brought a massive white metal bed to deliver \u201cFortnight<\/a>\u201d during the Eras run, and Usher is currently bringing his R&B magic to the mattress on tour during \u201cSeduction.<\/a>\u201d But the couches have officially taken over. These days, if you\u2019re a musician preparing to hit the road, it\u2019s probably number three on the must-have list, behind \u201cin-ear monitors\u201d and \u201cherbal tea.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tIt\u2019s easy to see why. Couches provide a cozy aesthetic, and a way for artists to change up their set and take a breather. Lucy Dacus<\/a> has used couches all through her Forever Is a Feeling<\/em><\/a> Tour, inviting special guests to join her for \u201cBullseye,\u201d from Ani DiFranco<\/a> to Sleater-Kinney\u2019s Corin Tucker<\/a>. And for her set at All Things Go last year in New York, she brought out mayor-to-be Zohran Mamdani<\/a> for a chat. Dacus first incorporated couches into her set several years ago, when she had two herniated discs in her back and was forced to perform entirely laying down (that was back in 2022<\/a>, basically making her a Couch Pioneer).<\/p>\n

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\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMaria-Juliana Rojas for Rolling Stone<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

\n\tCouches also allow for an intimate, almost therapeutic moment, particularly during personal songs. In Hilary Duff\u2019s case, it\u2019s for her performance of \u201cWe Don\u2019t Talk<\/a>,\u201d a cut off her new album Luck \u2026or Something<\/em><\/a> that\u2019s rumored to be about her estranged sister, Haylie. \u201cLet\u2019s have it out\/I\u2019ll hear you out\/You hear me out\/On the couch,\u201d she sings. But eagle-eyed fans took this to another level, believing even the color of the couch was an easter egg. \u201cThat is absolute bullshit, and totally not true and crazy,\u201d Duff told Rolling Stone<\/em><\/a> earlier this year. \u201cAnd I don\u2019t have the time to make threads for people to catch on to about that. I have a full life and a busy family, and this was literally just a song about my truth, and that was it.\u201d Sometimes, a couch is really just a couch.<\/p>\n

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\t\tTrending Stories<\/p>\n<\/h2>\n<\/section>\n

\n\tBut there are exceptions. Allen\u2019s current tour \u2014 where she performs her devastating album West End Girl<\/em><\/a>, widely perceived to be about her divorce from actor David Harbour \u2014 features actual pieces of furniture<\/a> from the Brooklyn townhouse they once shared. She\u2019s changed up the kind of couch a lot (her set at Radio City<\/a> in New York featured a red velvet tufted sofa), but every performance features her perched on one for \u201cSleepwalking<\/a>,\u201d as she sings, \u201cWho said romance isn\u2019t dead?\/Been no romance since we wed.\u201d For this West End girl, the couch is everything.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tAnd the trend appears to be just getting started. For Rene\u00e9 Rapp\u2019s brief Brooklyn set <\/a>last year, celebrating the release of Bite Me<\/em><\/a>? Couch. For Mitski<\/a>\u2019s \u201cCircle<\/a>\u201d earlier this year, in support of Nothing\u2019s About to Happen to Me<\/em><\/a>? Couch. For several songs during Phoebe Bridgers<\/a>\u2019 phoneless tour, including her show at Madison Square Garden<\/a>? Couch. And for a hot minute during Charli XCX\u2019s intimate Brooklyn gig<\/a> earlier this month? You guessed it: couch. We aren\u2019t sure what\u2019s next (if it\u2019s vintage TV sets, Waxahatchee and MJ Lenderman just did this on their recent joint tour). But for the time being, sit back, relax, and enjoy watching your favorite musician do the same thing.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n