CANNONS, courtesy Ryan Rundle.

SAN FRANCISCO — Los Angeles indie pop band Cannons is ready to get back out on the road in March, touring ahead of its upcoming album, Fever Dream. But it’s not the band’s first time on the road with the new material.

Singer Michelle Joy, bassist Paul Davis and guitarist Ryan Clapham made a stop at Outside Lands in October. Because the show was on Halloween, Davis and Clapham were dressed as Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley of KISS, respectively, and Joy was dressed as X-Men character Dazzler.

“Lots of KISS fans out there, more than I thought there would be. People really love it,” Clapham said.

“To be honest with you, it was all the roadies,” Davis said. “They’re like, ‘Dude, you guys are giving me flashbacks to the ’70s.'”

Cannons perform at Outside Lands in San Francisco on Oct. 31, 2021.

It also made it really convenient to get around the festival. Cannons said nobody really seemed to ask Dazzler and KISS for their passes to go pretty much wherever they wanted, including in the front gate. It’s something that really would have helped them out the first time they tried to go to Outside Lands, three years prior.

“We actually tried to sneak into this once,” Davis said. “We had a local show, and we decided to rent some bicycles, wanted to see how close we could get. Then, you know, if there were any gaps in the fence.”

“There weren’t,” Clapham said. “Surprisingly good security.”

“Little did we know a few years later we’d be playing the main stage. It’s amazing, really,” Joy said. “If you told me then, I don’t know if I’d have believed you.”

“I do wish you told me then I just had to dress as Gene Simmons to get past security,” Davis added. “I probably shouldn’t be spreading that tip around, though.”

Cannons weren’t only getting recognized for looking like KISS and Dazzler, though. Their set was a little over a week after they released “Ruthless,” the second single from Fever Dream, and it had already made a splash with the crowd.

Joy said she was amazed to see people singing and dancing along to the new song. It was, after all, the first time the band had played it live.

“I was worried I’d forget some of the words, and the fans already know it all,” she said.

Cannons perform at Outside Lands in San Francisco on Oct. 31, 2021.

The positive reaction to the new songs was good feedback for the band. The album was mostly written and recorded during lockdown in 2020 and 2021. What was a slow year for a lot of people was really busy and eventful for Cannons, not just in terms of the album but a lot of things around it.

“A lot of my friends were saying how unproductive they felt, and I’m over here, like, getting signed to Columbia Records,” Clapham said. “You know, working on an album, finishing the album, doing production.”

“Can’t stop making music,” Davis said. “Gotta keep pumping the jams, as they say.”

“Don’t forget the video shoots,” Joy said. “We did our first music videos once stuff opened up more and it was safe. That was really fun.”

“And yet somehow we also managed to watch, like, all of Netflix,” Davis added. “I can’t figure out when, but we did.”

“I’m so happy to be back out on the road now, playing for people,” Clapham said. “I didn’t realize how much we missed playing in front of people. It’s a thrill.”

They’re going to be doing a lot more of that in the coming months. Dressed as Cannons this time, not as KISS.

Follow editor Daniel J. Willis at Twitter.com/BayAreaData.