Firefly 2015: Philadelphia's Cheerleader

By Michael Cerio

DOVER, Del. (CBS) - Sunshine emanates from the music of Cheerleader, despite being conceived in the often cold and dark of the Fishtown section of Philadelphia.

"Summer's the best season. Would you buy a record from a band that made an album that sounded like a Philadelphia winter? Like songs about potholes, and ugly grey snow on the sidewalks."

Sound logic from the members of Cheerleader as they stand in the woods behind one of the Firefly Music Festival stages.

Just a year and a half ago, the band was making their live debut, upstairs at a crowded Philadelphia bar armed with only a few song demos. Now, they find themselves performing on a stage at one of the East Coast's biggest music festivals.

"It has been happening quick for us, and we feel very fortunate."

Cheerleader is the latest to spring out of a fertile Philadelphia music scene on to bigger things.

"I feel like people got together finally. Philly was always, it didn't really have a central base. West Philly was like your basement shows, but like Fishtown brought together a lot of venues. People started hanging out at them, going to bars and stuff. People are like supporting each other instead of like going back to their own corner and being like hold on I'm going do something special and you're not included. It's just like lets come together and make something fun."

It seems Cheerleader has embraced the festival experience, checking out other artists across the woodlands and excited to share the bill with Paul McCartney.

"There are like 75 bands in between us, but it still counts."

Listen to the full interview above, and check out Cheerleader's debut album The Sunshine Of Your Youth, available now.