South by Southwest |

Bands come and go, and in the case of Chicago’s retro psychedelic pop rock band Temporary Pharaohs, sometimes they come back for a second round. After taking a few years off from their original start in 2012, Cody Carpenter, Chris Kulwin, Nick Tumminello, AJ Hitmar and Elliot Gitter came together late this summer to record two new singles and reintroduce themselves to the Chicago music scene.

So far, the new beginning is running slow as the band approaches what will be only their second live show on Saturday, December 26 at Lincoln Hall. But it’s not for lack of material the boys assure as they gather at The Nook in Chicago’s Edison Park to discuss the collection of new songs they’ve been working on as well as plans for new merchandise, touring and a South by Southwest showcase.

Some bands think it’s best to solidify a following in their home city before embarking on a cross-country tour. Other bands find cramming three bandmates, a sound engineer and a considerable amount of musical gear into a van the best way to weed out the weak. The latter explains the mindset of Tony Aguilar, Cody Varga and Steve-o Gonzalez, the trio behind The Wistful Larks, who have recently returned from a twelve city tour less than a year after recording and releasing their debut EP.

Now that they’ve proven they can tolerate each other at each other’s worst, the three are working toward a collection of new goals, including a 6-song EP and more regular shows in their home city of Chicago.

Varga and Aguilar share their story:

South by Southwest

Q&A: Temporary Pharaohs

Q&A: The Wistful Larks