Premiere: The Inventors- “Fire”

Posted on November 17, 2017 by Jessica Braun Gervais in Music and tagged Chicago, Chicago band, Chicago music, Fire, indie rock, listen live and local, New Music, new single, rock, single, The Inventors.

The last couple of months have been a time of evolution for The Inventors. The Chicago rock band comprised of lead vocalist Joe Mango, bassist Nicholas Kieta and lead guitarist Ray Skamay have turned their trio into a foursome with the addition of drummer Tommy Mendoza, taking Mango off mandatory double duty. They’ve also been working on putting together new music and have recently released their first of three singles, “10’s and 9’s” via Amplify Music. The singles are part of their debut full-length LP Counting Backwards, set for release this coming winter. The album was recorded by Matt Cerritos at Shirk Studios in Chicago.

Their second single, “Fire” opens with a beautifully simplistic guitar line before being joined by light percussion and vocals. The energy takes off entering into each round of the chorus, looping the lines “You’re on fire baby/ You are/ You are”. The piece is an easy listen and look into the new direction of The Inventors.

Check out our profile on The Inventors from earlier this year to learn more about the band.

Profile: Elk Walking

Posted on November 10, 2017 by Jessica Braun Gervais in Music, Profile Features and tagged Between Us, Chicago, Chicago band, Elk Walking, indie music, indie rock, listen live and local, profile, rock, rock music, Schubas, songwriter.

One of the upsides to attending an art college as a dedicated artist is being surrounded by other talented individuals who are willing to indulge in creative projects. It’s a great place to build working relationships, and sometimes those relations grow into solid professional structures. As Savanna Dickhut and Julian Daniell of Elk Walking share before their performance at the SubT Lounge, it was a chance meeting during college that pushed the two songwriters to pursue a career in Chicago’s music scene.

Q&A: Sunjacket

Posted on October 24, 2017 by Jessica Braun Gervais in Music, Q&As and tagged Bassel & The Supernaturals, Chicago, Chicago band, Chicago music, indie rock, listen live and local, Mantra, q&a, rock, Schubas, Slack, Sunjacket, synth.

For a band who thrives on the dark and heavy synth sounds found on their 2016 debut album Mantra, the four men behind Sunjacket are surprisingly upbeat and goofy. Their banter flows like a well-rehearsed comedy act, no one missing a beat as they play off each other’s comments to poke fun at one another. Even when discussing shared passions, such as their music or love of foosball, Garret Bodette, Carl Hauck, Bryan Kveton and newest member Jeff Rukes can’t help but turn lighthearted conversations into subtle roasting sessions. Even through the malicious giggles, the 4-piece successfully shared their journey of the last year along with their plans for new music and shows.

Q&A: Namorado

Posted on September 22, 2017 by Jessica Braun Gervais in Music, Q&As and tagged Chicago, Chicago artists, Chicago band, Chicago music, GMan Tavern, Headhunter, indie music, indie rock, listen live and local, live music, local music, music, Namorado, Nevada, New Music, q&a, rock, The Ars Nova.

If the four faces behind Chicago’s Namorado look familiar, you may have caught them onstage during their Urbana-Champaign college days as A Cool Hand. Although, now nearly two years into their new formation, the faces of lead guitarist/vocalist Mike Altergott, drummer Charlier McCarthy, guitarist/vocalist Jack Keating and bassist/vocalist Adam Howarter may be the only things to spark familiarity.

After moving to the city of Chicago, the four bandmates had a serious discussion about the evolution of their songs from standard indie rock to well-composed music built on guitar riffs and vocal harmonies. With a new EP in the works, set for release in early 2018, Altergott and Howarter gathered at their Avondale rehearsal space to share the ins and outs of their latest endeavors and what it’s like as a band maneuvering through the Chicago music scene.