Dandelions are commonly interpreted as a symbol of growth, hope and healing. 

As The Greeting Committee prepares to depart on tour this week, these themes are reflected in its return to touring, along with the band’s musical and introspective growth after the release of its sophomore album, “Dandelion.”

The “Dandelion” tour will start in St. Paul, Minnesota, on Feb. 5 and play shows in Chicago, Brooklyn, Dallas, San Francisco and Portland, among others. The tour will end on April 9 at the Uptown Theater in the band’s hometown, Kansas City. 

“Ending it all with a bang is sort of the way that I see it,” said Addie Sartino, lead vocalist of The Greeting Committee. “(It’s) a celebration of, ‘This is what Kansas City gave us: our foundation to be able to go to other places,’ and we want to say thank you.” 

The indie-rock band is composed of Sartino, Brandon Yangmi and Pierce Turcotte. The group formed in high school and has been together since then. The band’s latest album, “Dandelion,” was released in late September. 

Sartino said the “Dandelion” tour will give the album’s songs new life and meaning, saying she enjoys seeing her audience’s real-time reactions to the music. 

She described “Dandelion” as a breakup album resulting from her split with her long-term girlfriend last year. Though the couple is back together now, Sartino said the breakup made her question how to live without her person.

“I think it forced me to evaluate my self-worth and really forced me to love myself and come to the conclusion that I can and I will be happy with or without certain things in my life and certain people,” Sartino said. “Grief kind of forces you to survive, and it’s really cool how adaptable humans can be.”

Almost all the tunes on “Dandelion” were written after Sartino and her girlfriend, Elise, reunited. 

“I was too sad to write music or listen to music when I was going through the breakup,” she said, “and it wasn’t until I felt safe with Elise again that I felt comfortable writing the music and really digging into healing.”

It was important for Sartino to feel attached to the stories being written in “Dandelion,” she said, which required the band to be intentional about its songwriting and find a balance in challenging itself without alienating itself from its fan base.

As Sartino prepares to go on tour, she’s nervous she’ll feel homesick, though she said the excitement of the tour will overwhelm most feelings of homesickness. Hopefully, she said, seeing the band’s audience next month will feel like a reunion. 

“I talk to her fans a lot online every single day,” she said, “and getting to hopefully hug them and see them in person is … it’s just gonna be so rewarding.”

Her parents grew up in Illinois, she said, so she’s excited to play at the sold-out Subterranean show in Chicago.

“The last time we played there (Chicago), headlining was so close to selling out but didn’t,” she said, “and so this definitely feels like a win and very exciting way to start the tour off since it’s the second show.”

Though she didn’t want to give away too many details about the setlist, Sartino said the band will play the fan-favorite tune, “She’s A Gun,” though the band also receives many requests for its hit song, “Hands Down.”

“It’s funny,” she said, “People will be like, ‘Please play “Hands Down,”’ and it’s like, ‘Guys, it’s the number-one song on Spotify. We’re gonna play “Hands Down,” like that’s not even an option.’” 

Sartino said the ultimate goal of the band’s music is to create an intimate connection with the audience and to make her audience feel understood, valued and cared for.

“I think that’s always the message that I’m going with The Greeting Committee because that’s what fans supply to me typically,” she said. “And I want to be able to get those feelings back.”

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