Q101 The Alternative
Q101 (formerly on Chicago radio @ 101.1 FM) The Alternative - Chicago's New Rock Alternative - Everything Alternative - Chicago's Alternative - Gen X - Generation X
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.
A Lull performs at Schubas on 4/20/2012 (Photo by Katie Karpowicz)
Here’s the thing about rock music: Just because a band’s songs are artistic, it doesn’t always mean that they lack edge or rock-ability. That’s the case with Chicago’s own A Lull. If you’ve ever listened to a song from these natives, you probably took note of the band’s percussion. It’s intense. By enlisting two drummers, A Lull creates a rumbling rhythm section for its fervent melodies to follow.
Mike Brown, A Lull’s guitar and keyboard player, phoned me the night before the band left for a short Midwestern jaunt with Gauntlet Hair this month. I wanted to chat with him about the busy summer he has coming up. With a new EP due out next month, tour plans, another release already in the works and a spot on the bill at this year’s Pitchfork Music Festival, A Lull have a full calendar.
When I ask Brown if he’s excited about playing Pitchfork he responds with a flat, “No.” He’s kidding, of course. The festival appearance will be A Lull’s biggest U.S. show to date (The band played an even larger festival last summer in Quebec.). Though Brown admits in all seriousness that hometown shows always bring a little added pressure.
“If [Pitchfork] was in any other city it would be a lot more exciting,” he said. “I don’t mean that in a bad way. We all just get nervous playing in Chicago just because we have so many friends here. I’m going to see all of these people tomorrow, you know?”
Any live show with as many elements as A Lull’s must be at least a little nervewrecking—no matter the audience. Brown finds himself continually shifting from guitar to keys.
In addition to the dual drummers, there’s also always at least a couple toms and snares spread throughout the stage for the other band members to join in on at various times during the set. Brown admitted there’s just one simple piece of advice to follow when it comes to coordinating such elaborate live shows.
“Don’t fuck up…basically,” he said. “Honestly though, that’s probably the biggest focus because there’s many times where we’ve got so much going on and the slightest slip of the hand will just messed everyone else up. We try to be on par and you sort of fall in a groove when you’re on tour and you know you’re songs. Then it’s pretty seamless.”
Even though the complexity of A Lull’s song composition has always been one of the band’s most defining features, fans might be a little surprised by their newest release, a five-song EP titled Meat Mountain that drops June 26. Brown explained the new material—A Lull’s first since their 2011 full-length Confetti—is a lot “looser” than the last album and that “there’s just not as much going on.” But he also assured me Meat Mountain is still undeniably a product of A Lull and that the new EP definitely sounds like them.
Catch A Lull performing on Sunday at this year’s Pitchfork Music Festival and check out Meat Mountain on June 26. Pre-order the new EP here and listen to the band’s single, “I’m On Fire,” below.
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