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Wicker Park Festival hit the corner of Milwaukee and North avenues Saturday and Sunday, July 28 and 29. Chicago’s known for busing national talent in and out of its city limits each summer for big name festivals like Lollapalooza and Pitchfork but if up-and-coming local acts are what you’re after WPF might be your best bet.
Local 101 combed the lineup and chatted with some of the Chicago-based musicians from this year’s Wicker Park Fest:
Saturday, July 28, artists:
Kill Hannah – Longtime Chicago faves bring their alt-rocking, electronic-infused cuts to the Center Stage on Saturday to close out the first night of WPF. Q&A with vocalist Mat Devine: What’s your favorite festival food? Ribs. I realize that kills any hope I have of sounding sexy, but it’s true. What’s your favorite song to play at Chicago shows? Our song “Welcome to Chicago MF” goes ballistic every time. It’s a tribute to the city and considering it’s never actually been released it’s pretty amazing how it’s become a live cult favorite. Set time: 8:45 p.m., Center Stage
YAWN - Psych rock with a drummer who’s not afraid to go heavy on the toms. It’s whimsical. It’s catchy. It’s definitely worth checking out. Q&A with vocalist/keyboardist/guitarist Adam Gil: Any good memories from Wicker Park Fest in years past? I’m sure there are good memories somewhere but all the festival drunkenness has washed them away. Aside from your performance at the fest, what else should your fans be excited for? A Lollapalooza after party at the Empty Bottle on August 3 with Bear In Heaven. Our new EP Happy Tears… it’s free! Show/parties at our loft! More FeelTrip artists coming out with releases. Set time: 5:30 p.m., South Stage
Big Science - A bit jazzy. A little psychadelic. A lot of rocking. A big musical science experiment gone so right. Q&A with bassist Jason Richards: What’s your favorite festival food? As a band, we’re 75% vegan so it’s kinda tough to work out. I wish we could just say ribs. I remember what they taste like. They’re good. Let’s say ribs! Any good memories from Wicker Park Fest in years past? Two years ago we played really early in the day on the Cap’n Jazz stage. We got to see them and Mission Of Burma. That was great. Set time: 4:30 p.m., South Stage
Magic Box - Rock ‘n roll with a soft, melodic edge brought to you by veteran duo Ed Anderson and Scott Kipping. Q&A with vocalist/guitarist Scott Tipping: What’s the best thing about Chicago street festivals? Live music and beer. Any good memories from Wicker Park Fest in years past? Yes! Seeing Glossary a few years ago. I had never heard of them before, their set was amazing. Set time: 4:15 p.m., Center Stage
Archie Powell and the Exports play the South Stage Saturday, July 28, at 3:30 p.m.
Archie Powell and the Exports – By mixing pop rock jams with the slightest hint of grunge, Archie and co. prove that rocking out and having fun are really one and the same. Q&A with Archie: What’s the best thing about Chicago street festivals? It’s a great opportunity to get really weird for an hour and be recognized for it. What’s your favorite festival food? What’s that place that does the mystery meat made out of all the farm animals at once? Because that’s the best one. Set time: 3:30 p.m., South Stage
Pet Lions - Indie rock to the core. Bouncy, blissful tracks. The perfect soundtrack for a summery Saturday afternoon street fest adventure. Q&A with vocalist/guitarist Karl Ostby: What’s the best thing about Chicago street fests? The lineups seem to be getting better every year. We’re stoked to play a street fest with The Drums, Cursive, Joe Pug, Yawn, Tristen, etc. What’s your favorite song to play at Chicago shows? Like most bands, we probably like debuting new material more than anything. New songs just sound so different on stage than in a practice space, so it’s almost cathartic to hear that for the first time. Set time: 3 p.m., Center Stage
Rollo Tomasi - Perhaps the heaviest band playing this weekend’s fest, it’s only a matter of time before Rollo’s aggravated guitar breakdowns and driving rhythms will get your head bobbing. Q&A with guitarist/vocalist Neil Sandler: What’s your favorite festival food? Beer. Yes, beer is a food. Any good memories from Wicker Park Fest in years past? In 2009, Jeff [Larsen, bassist/vocalist] and I got to see John Reis’s band, The Night Marchers, play a great show. What made it even better is that we went to see Obits play at Empty Bottle later that night. Obits contain Rick Froberg, the other half of the magical duo that created Hot Snakes and Drive Like Jehu, two of our all time favorite bands. Set time: 2:30 p.m., North Stage
Perfect Kiss - Their dark synth swells and electronic beats will bring you right back to the glory days of ’80s new wave. Get yo’ dance on. Q&A with bassist Ray Mora: What’s your favorite song to play at Chicago shows? Right now I would say “One Kiss” from our new EP Alarms. It was fun writing it, it all came together and now we love playing it out live. Aside from your performance at the fest, what else should your fans be excited for? We are getting ready to shoot our first music video, so that’s really exciting. Also just starting to play out a lot more, in and out of the city. Our fans will have plenty of opportunities to check us out this summer and I’m hoping to see familiar along with new lovely faces out there. Set time: 2 p.m., Center Stage
Mike Musikanto - Musikanto isn’t breaking the singer/songwriter mold, but his rich tenor and dreamy guitar lines are setting the bar for the genre much higher. Q&A with Mike: What’s the best thing about Chicago street festivals? The best thing about Chicago festivals is the love people show for their neighborhood. It’s one big block party. Aside from your performance at the fest, what else should your fans be excited for? Fans in Chicago can see me at Chicago’s new City Winery with Suzanne Vega in September. It will be a stripped down acoustic show. Set time: 1 p.m., Center Stage Sunday, July 29, artists:
The Steepwater Band - Nitty, gritty, dirty and delicious blues rock. Q&A with singer/guitarist Jeff Massey: What’s the best thing about Chicago street festivals? The opportunity to play music in front of a diverse group of music fans. Chicago is one of the greatest cities for live music and festivals are a great way for bands of different genres to converge on the same stage. Aside from your performance at the fest what else should fans be excited for? They should be excited that we are playing Fitzgerald’s on Friday August 10th! [Shameless plug] Set time: 7 p.m., Center Stage
Fort Frances - Enough pop sensibility for a fun listen and enough musical poise for some serious respect. Q&A with vocalist/guitarist/keyboardist David McMillin: What’s the best thing about Chicago street fests? A long list of great bands for under $10. What’s your favorite song to play at Chicago shows? Currently, it’s our cover of DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince classic, “Summertime.” Set time: 5:30 p.m., South Stage
Lasers & Fast & Shit - Sure to get the afternoon energy surging this Sunday, Lasers should fill your punk quota for this festival outing. Traditional melodies meet spastic breakdowns a la Death From Above 1979. Oh, yeah, and they bring their own light show. Q&A with vocalist Joe Carsello: What’s your favorite song to play at Chicago shows? Songs are like cats. It’s hard to pick your favorite as they are all cute in their own right. Aside from your performance at the fest, what should fans be excited for? Rain! For heaven’s sake, PRAY FOR RAIN!!!
Will Phalen play the Center Stage Sunday, July 29, at 4:15 p.m.
Will Phalen and the Stereo Addicts - Expect to hear plenty of brooding, folk rock tunes off Phalen’s debut solo album–the Chicago-themed and aptly titled Holy Ghost Gold Coast. Q&A with Will: What’s your favorite festival food? Cevapcici! I discovered them at Do Division a couple years ago and then realized they’re actually at a bunch of Chicago’s street festivals. It’s a meat pattie made of lamb, beef and pork. They grill it up, put it in a pita and cover it with a delicious sweet red pepper sauce and onions. I love it. I think it’s a take on a Balkan dish. What’s your favorite song to play at Chicago shows? I don’t know if I have a favorite. All my songs are like children to me. But I’m really excited to be playing a bunch of new material with my brand new band! We’ve also got a special cover song in store. I’m not going to say which one, so folks will have to come out to hear it. Set time: 4:15 p.m., Center Stage
Derek Nelson and the Musicians - It’s almost unfair how eerily beautiful Nelson and his band sound on their debut record Riders of the Tide. Unfair to anyone who won’t be seeing the folk rockers live this weekend that is. Q&A with Derek: What’s your favorite festival food? I was always fond of funnel cakes growing up. Now that I’m older, I’m wondering how they’re made. Ribs are still the best festival food. Aside from your performance at the fest, what else should fans be looking forward to? From the festival side, they should definitely check out our friends The Shams Band and Will Phalen & The Stereo Addicts — and of course, Joe Pug, Tristen and all the other great bands. More than anything, they should be excited to live in a city that consistently has great things like this to do. Set time: 3:30 p.m., South Stage
Soft Speaker – Don’t let the name deceive you. This gang of wholesome garage rockers can make some serious noise. Q&A with drummer Joe Daley and guitarist/organist/vocalist Paul Foreman: What’s your favorite festival food? Fried Twinkie with powdered sugar or the ham ‘n oil sandwich. Any good memories from Wicker Park Fest in years past? This is our first year at Wicker Park Fest. Do Division and Green Music Festival were a gas! Set time: 3:30 p.m., North Stage
The Shams Band plays the South Stage Sunday, July 29, at 2:30 p.m.
The Shams Band – The Shams pay tribute to the sounds of middle America via a musical amalgamation of soul-infused folk rock at it’s finest. Q&A with guitarist/vocalist Donnie Biggins: What’s your favorite song to play at Chicago shows? “Cold City”–our song to Chicago. Lyrics are here. Aside from your performance at the fest, what else should fans be looking forward to? Our new record, Cold City. We released it on July 9th. We’ve received some very positive responses from our friends and fans, and we are very proud of the record. We will also be closing out our Schubas July Residency on Monday, July 30th with Archie Powell & The Exports and Young Hines. It is a party not to miss! Set time: 2:30 p.m., South Stage
Midwest Hype – The forecast for Sunday is 85-degrees and sunny. Um, yeah, you’re gonna need a litte reggae and ska in your life. Q&A with drummer Max Kepler: What’s the best thing about Chicago street festivals? The best thing about Chicago street festivals is that they happen all over the city all summer and each one has it’s own character and vibe. Wicker Park Fest always has a young crowd and a great vibe. I have been enjoying myself there for a few years. Any good memories from Wicker Park Fest in years past? I have several good memories of Wicker Park Fest. However, I really enjoyed watching Company of Thieves perform last year after a few sangrias. Set time: 2:30 p.m., Center Stage
The Kickback – Between the bluesy guitar tones, catchy choruses and raspy croon of singer Billy Yost, these guys would sound right at home playing second stage to acts like the Kings of Leon. Q&A with vocalist/guitarist Billy Yost: What’s the best thing about Chicago street fests? Getting to play them this year. Last year you may have seen us at intersections with “Let Us Play Your Festival, God Bless” signs. We made $11 but didn’t score any fests. What’s your favorite song to play at Chicago shows? “Little Teach” because we encourage a healthy debate between festival patrons regarding the public vs. charter school issue. But only for 30-seconds between songs. And rebuttals must be in the form of dance battles. Set time: 2:30 p.m., North Stage
It’s 4 p.m. on a Saturday in July. The heat is peaking somewhere upward of ninety degrees and the asphalt backdrop isn’t helping. Still, every stop along the seminal Warped Tour schedule is a chance for up and coming bands like poppy quintet Stepdad to grow their fan bases.
However, Stepdad’s stop in Chicago wasn’t too foreign. Though they now call Grand Rapids, MI home, Stepdad got their start on Chicago’s south side. Now, several years later, they’ve embarked on the yearly Warped Tour, fondly know as “punk rock summer camp” and are happy to see some familiar faces along the way.
Local 101 caught up with the band on their (air conditioned) bus following their performance on July 7 to chat about their past, present and future….and also to eat some cookies. Listen to the full interview below.
Stepdad’s debut full length album Wildlife Pop is out now. Check out their track entitled “Jungles” below.
Though the weather has finally started to cool off, it’s still the midst of summer. You need beach music. You need back porch music. You need music to party to. You need music to chillax to. We’ve got it for you. Remember to comment on what you like so we know, and share this page too to support the local scene! See those Facebook buttons at the bottom of the page? Yep, those…Thanks in advance! ROCK!)
Any Kind – With the addition of an electric edge, Any Kind put a great new spin on folk rock and prove the genre is more than a bunch of bearded, old hippies with acoustic guitars. You like? You’ll like: Elliott Smith, Spoon, Radiohead, Neil Young If your band was a drink, what would it be: “If we were a drink it would be weird pop.” – Dan Duszynski, writing, guitar and vox Mark it on your calendar: Download Any Kind’s self-titled album for free…right now. It’s free music. What’s stopping you?
The 92s – The melodies are poppy. The production style is grungy. The musicianship is a real treat. You like? You’ll like: Manchester Orchestra, Wilco, Butch Walker, Weezer If your band was a drink, what would it be: “If we were a beverage we would be Dr. Pepper because we try to mix in as many flavors as possible into our sound.” – Dan Durley, guitar and vox Mark it on your calendar: Check out The 92s at Taste of Chicago this weekend! They play on the Bud Light Stage at 5:20 on Sunday, July 15th. Check out their first EP Don’t Bury Me and keep your eyes peeled for their new record coming out this September.
About the Mess – About the Mess do pop punk anthems so well that at first listen you’ll feel like you already have a thousand memories tied to each track. You like? You’ll like: Off With Their Heads, The Lawrence Arms, The Methadones, The Descendents If your band was a drink, what would it be: “Whiskey…neat.” – Joe Mizzi, guitar and vox Mark it on your calendar: Keep an eye out for some upcoming tour dates but in the mean time pick up About the Mess’s 7″ split record with Detroit-based band Seized Up at Reckless Records, Bucket o’ Blood, Gramophone Records or right here.
Live in Chicago? Have a band? Submit your tunes on our “Local 101″ page.
After more than a decade of playing for the fans, Kaustubh “Stubhy” Pandav said taking the stage with Lucky Boys Confusion has new meaning since the death of guitarist Joe Sell.
Pandav and Sell, a self-taught guitarist, had been making music together since they formed punk, rock and ska band Lucky Boys Confusion with other local musicians in 1997. Pandav previously had said Sell added “the attitude and swagger” to the band’s music.
The band is scheduled to take the stage at 9 p.m. Saturday at Madison Meadow Park, 600 E. Madison St., Lombard, and has the blessing of Sell’s family. The guitarist’s father, also named Joe, is still struggling with the loss, but he plans to attend the show.
“I’m glad they’re getting back on stage because I think every time they do, the band lives on. And that’s what he was part of for 15 years,” the elder Joe Sell said. “So I’m glad it’s going on and sad it’s going on without him.”
Pandav said performing without Sell on Saturday will be hard but necessary. He also said the band may eventually find a “permanent sub,” but no one will take Sell’s place.
Source: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/suburbs/naperville/ct-met-lucky-boys-20120706,0,3334346.story
Billy Corgan talks GMO, TSA, FOX, New World Order…down the rabbit hole with Alex Jones from Infowars.com This is far deeper than new album promotional fluff. Listen…
The annual rite of summer, The Vans Warped Tour, rolls into Chicagoland to the First Midwest Bank Amphitheater in Tinley Park, Saturday July 7th! Tix can be had HERE
Check out the lineup for the 18th edition of the Tour:
A Loss for Words After the Burial All Time Low Anthony Raneri Anti-Flag Ballyhoo! Bangups Bayside blessthefall Born of Osiris Breathe Carolina Brian Marquis Captain Capa CatchingYourClouds Champagne Champagne Chelsea Grin Chunk! No Captain Chunk! Cold Forty Three Dead Sara Divided by Friday Echo Movement Every Time I Die Falling in Reverse Fireworks For Today Four Year Strong Funeral Party G-Eazy Hostage Calm Hyro da Hero I Am the Avalanche I Call Fives I Fight Dragons Impending Doom Into It. Over It. It Boys! iwrestledabearonce Justina Koji Living With Lions Lost In Society Machine Gun Kelly Make Do and Mend Man Overboard Matt Toka Mayday Parade Memphis May Fire Mighty Mongo Miss May I Mad Sun Motionless in White New Found Glory Of Mice and Men Oh No Fiasco Owen Plant Pierce the Veil Polar Bear Club Rise to Remain Senses Fail Sick of Sarah Skip the Foreplay Sleeping with Sirens Stepdad Streetlight Manifesto Super Water Sympathy T. Mills Taking Back Sunday Ten Second Epic The Constellations The Darlings The Ghost Inside The Green The Jukebox Romantics The Silver Comet The Used Title Fight Tomorrow’s Bad Seeds Tonight Alive Tony D’Angelo Transit Twin Atlantic Vampires Everywhere! Vanna Vinnie Caruana Wax We Are the In Crowd We Are the Ocean We the Kings Wick-It the Instigator Yellowcard You Me At Six
Never been to Warped? Check this out: The trailer from the Definitive (there may be no others, honestly) documentary about the Tour, No Room For Rockstars. There’s a review of it below as well.
The Review courtesy of “Blogfully.net”:
John and I watched ‘Vans Warped Tour: No Room For Rockstars’ yesterday morning and in just a few sentences, I can tell you my exact thoughts and opinions of this film.
No Room For Rockstars is a documentary film that – for me – was an absolute thrill to watch. By default, I’m a music enthusiast. I love listening to all types of music (except for a select two, which I won’t mention here). At the same time, I’m a documentary lush. I could sit and watch documentary films all day long and be tickled.
No Room for Rockstars gave me the chance to see just how a concert tour like Warped Tour is run; ‘behind-the-scenes.’ I mean, from a fan’s view, the whole experiences is great. As a fan, we go to enjoy the music. To grab fan merchandise. As fans, we don’t have to worry about cleaning up, tearing down, and traveling to the next spot (usually a different State) by the next morning. That’s not the case for the equipment crews, the bands and the wanna-be-band-features. They actually live it, work it, travel it, day in and day out, from the first show to the last.
READ MORE HERE
Source: http://blogfully.net/2012/03/van-warped-tour-no-room-for-rockstars-review/
Q101 isn’t as bullish on the new Pumpkins collection as the Sun Times’ Thomas Conner, sans a few tracks. “The Chimera” is the one we keep rolling back to over and over again. However, To our ears, there aren’t any hits. A few tunes are pretty damn solid though. But what the hell do we know: We loved Zwan here in HQ and most people ridicule that band’s lone effort. So, you may feel differently when you sample Oceania front-to-back.
Once again we agree with much of what Billy has to say, particularly his assessment of Facebook. A powerful platform, but not the end-all-be-all its made out to be. Read on and let us know what you think of the new Pumpkins album in the comments section (and on Facebook, or course!)
As usual, Starting late in 2009, Billy Corgan and his Smashing Pumpkins molded the distribution plan of their new music to the emerging habits of the Internet and its hit-or-miss consumption patterns. With an ambitious, 44-track song cycle in mind called “Teargarden by Kaleidyscope,” the band dropped a dozen songs a few at a time, like digital mini-EPs.
By last fall, however, Corgan lamented the effort, saying it was “a tremendous amount of energy to put out to just feel like you’re throwing a pebble in the ocean.”
“I reached a point where I saw that the one song at a time idea had maxed itself out,” he said. “I just saw we weren’t getting the penetration in to everybody that I would have hoped. I mean, we have 1.3 million followers on our Facebook page, right? So you think you put [a song] up and 1.3 million people are gonna see it — but only if they’re looking at the exact moment it goes up.”
He added: “I just saw that we weren’t reaching the sort of casual person who still gets their information from traditional sources. So I thought, ‘What do I need to do?’ and then I thought, ‘OK, I’ll go back to making an album.’ ”
The result is “Oceania,” the next 13 songs in the “Teargarden” cycle but released in one batch like a traditional album. For once, believe the advance buzz about it — this is easily one of the best albums of the band’s entire career.
Source: http://www.suntimes.com/entertainment/13189767-421/pumpkins-ambitious-oceania-shows-the-band-as-vibrant-vital-as-ever.html
Somewhere along the way, punk rock lost face. Somewhere in between The Clash and Green Day, Minor Threat and The Get Up Kids, NOFX and Rise Against, Henry Rollins, Tom Delonge and Pete Wentz, the genre lost it’s definitive sound. But that isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
“Punk” has become a multi-faceted term and sometimes when you combine the many hats that it wears you wind up with one hell of a headpiece. Chicago sports a long history of essential punk bands and our contemporary wave of locals continues to keep our city’s scene on par.
Bully in the Hallway might not produce the most traditional of punk music, but the influences that those traditions have on this Chicago five-piece is undeniable. True to the genre’s evolution, Bully combines a multitude of sounds that gives them both a sophisticated and fun-loving sound.
Local 101 caught up with Bully in the Hallway at a recent show at the Fireside Bowl. We chatted about their varied list of influences, trip to South By Southwest festival earlier this year and rocking in Chicago. View the entire interview in the video below.
Listen to and download Bully in the Hallway’s Crooks and their Castles
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“I started writing songs that wouldn’t fit on a Local H record,” Scott Lucas tells me over the phone shortly before going on stage in Dallas. “And it wasn’t just one song but, like, eight.”
That’s the origin of Scott Lucas and the Married Men. Most Q101 listeners probably know Lucas as the longtime frontman of Chicago rock vets Local H. His alt-country side project, the Married Men, played its first show in 2009 and released its first album in 2010. Now the Men are gearing up for the release of their second full-length Blood Half Moon.
When Lucas said the songs wouldn’t “fit” in with Local H’s catalog, he’s right. You’d be hard pressed to find cello or violin arrangements on a Local H record. Blood Half Moon kicks off with a twang-filled interlude that wouldn’t sound out of place in a 1960s-era Clint Eastwood movie.
It’s hard to tell where the country tunes end and the rock-steady grooves begin on Blood Half Moon, but what might be even harder to decipher for listeners is where Lucas drew his inspiration for this departure from his previous musical efforts.
Lucas says he listens to a bit of everything. His only rule for listenable music, regardless of genre: “It should be good.” Blues and country sounds might be new to his fans but they’re no strangers to Lucas.
“It doesn’t feel that crazy for me to do something like this for me, but it would be crazy if it was with Local H.”
Whereas his Local H gives Lucas the palette to paint his blue-collar rock-heavy rhythms, the Married Men showcases the softer, brooding side to his personality. No track off Blood Half Moon is a better example of this than the record’s emotional centerpiece, “Blood Half Moons.” Note the plural “moons” as opposed to the singular form of the word in the album’s title. Lucas claims he prides himself on never writing a record with a title track.
Named after the “half moons” that are left behind after clenching your fists, Lucas admits the non-title track is his favorite on the upcoming album. Though it was the first song written for Blood Half Moon musically, it was the last of the eight-track album with lyrics. It wasn’t until Lucas took a solitary drive through the desert in Joshua Tree National Park in California that he was able to pen the lyrics. Though he can’t quite put an exact meaning to the song, he sums it up by explaining it’s essentially about “serenely moving on.”
Even if he sometimes draws his inspirations from his national travels, Lucas has always stayed true to his hometown. Now three decades deep into making music in and around the Chicago area, he knows he’s not going anywhere soon.
“I’ve stayed in Chicago and not decide to pack up and move to Los Angeles,” he said. “The music that I really respond to comes from other places than Los Angeles and New York, like Minneanapolis and San Diego. Who goes to LA and changes LA? LA changes bands.”
True to his “I listen to everything” mantra, Lucas lists off quite the eclectic collection of bands when I ask who his favorite Chicago acts are right now. It’s a list that includes seven-piece metal act Bloodiest, party rocking mashup duo The Hood Internet and instrumental rockers Russian Circles.
Scott Lucas and the Married Men release their sophomore album Blood Red Moon on June 5. Catch them performing an acoustic set at the Logan Square Farmers Market on June 3 and June 9 at the Metro in support of Deer Tick.
Check out the first single from the disc and tell us what you think below! View Poll
There’s a lot of history at Q101. We’ve grown up watching a lot of incredible musicians come out of Chicago. But what we find truly flattering is finding out that some of those musicians grew up with us, too.
My first memory of William Beckett involves a snowy January, 2005 night and a club in my hometown of St. Louis. He was fronting a then little known band from Chicago called The Academy Is…
The Academy Is… went on to make three great albums and tour the world, all the while repping their Chicago roots. The band members announced last fall that they were breaking up. Lucky for us though, Mr. Beckett isn’t done with music. The singer took time out of his busy touring schedule to answer some of Local 101’s questions via email about his new solo career, recent EP and memories of Q101.
Local 101 - William, you put out Walk the Talk in April but it’s been awhile since we’ve heard from you, even before The Academy Is… announced their breakup last October. What else have you been up to?
WB - First of all, its great to be talking with you. I’ve listened to Q101 all my life and I’m very excited to see its soul living on the web. Anyways, to the questions.
Since I announced the end of TAI I’ve literally spent ninety percent of my time in the studio working on new songs, experimenting with my sound and honing in on my artistic direction. Thankfully it came very naturally and I continue to be in a writing groove. It feels incredible.
Local 101 - Now that you’re recording as a solo artist, is there less pressure to produce a certain sound when writing music?
WB - I wouldn’t say that there’s less pressure as much as there are less cooks in the kitchen. There can only be one executive chef in a successful kitchen, you know what I mean? Haha. Its been an extremely liberating experience being able to fully commit to my vision and my instincts without having to second and third guess myself.
Local 101 - The lyrics in your new single “Compromising Me” definitely read like you’ve changed your perspective on things lately. At what point in your life did you feel like you were compromising yourself? Did you feel like you were being compromised when it came to The Academy Is…? Did that have anything to do with the band’s decision to part ways?
WB - That song is absolutely a mantra for me and my perspective in my life and my music. I think that compromise is essential in a marriage or a relationship; business or personal. However, when it comes to art, unless everyone involved on your team shares the exact same defined vision, things can get muddled and the intentions clouded. I think there is a fine line between creative collaboration (which I excel with), and blind, forced compromise to appease the parties involved. That ended up playing a large part in my decision to part ways with my band.
Local 101 - You’ve seen a lot of Chicago bands that were in their hey day at the same time The Academy Is… was in its prime break up. Some of the guys from those groups, like Patrick Stump from Fall Out Boy and Mark Rose from Spitalfield, even chose to go the solo route like you did, so, obviously, the love for making music is still there. Do you think pop punk bands have an expiration date and/or that the musicians in them have a tendency to outgrow the genre?
WB - I think it comes down to individual artists doing what feels right for them. Over time people change. Tastes change. Influences change. For me, music is the fabric of my soul, and to stop making it would be a giant disservice to myself and my fans.
Local 101 - Speaking of Chicago bands, the goal of Local 101 is to get the word out about awesome bands here in the city. Who are some of your favorite Chicago bands and musicians that are around right now?
WB - I love Local 101. Grew up listening to it. I just saw Gemini Club at Lincoln Hall a few weeks ago for the first time and they were really good. I actually went to high school with one of the guys and haven’t seen him since until that show. There is also an extremely talented singer named Jennifer Hall whose voice I adore. She is a diamond in the rough and it’s only a matter of time before she gets the exposure she deserves.
Local 101 - What’s the future looking like for you? More solo material? Maybe a new band? Either way, we’re looking forward to it.
WB - After the release of Walk The Talk I will be releasing a new EP every 3 months for the rest of the year. Each EP picks up where the last left off and, once you collect them all, reveals the full story. I just finished recording the second EP, and I am currently on tour as we speak. The tour ends in Chicago, where it all started, on May 29th at Schubas. Then the next morning I fly to Japan to perform on the Beyond the Blue Tour, then I drop by the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia on the way home. The second EP drops soon after that and I’ll be heading back out on tour to support that release as well. More on that soon…
Local 101 wants to thank William again for the kind words and taking the time to chat with us. Check out his new EP Walk the Talk out now and catch him performing Tuesday, May 29 at Schubas.
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