Loyally Divided

I first encountered Chicago band, The Loyal Divide, on a sub-zero night in mid-January. Accustomed to seeing many local acts that feature talented hipsters producing watered down "indie rock," I walked into Subterranean expecting more of the same.

I situated myself in the balcony, looking down on the stage. I was prepared to listen and digest, coolly, from afar. As the band took the stage my aloof demeanor quickly morphed into a haunting, electro-rock trance. I could not keep myself from dancing. The Loyal Divide rocked the stage, performing their music with so much passion and desire it seemed as if they were playing for their lives and the energy was contagious. I danced in the near empty balcony for the entire set and wanted more when they finished.

After 7 years of playing together, The Loyal Divide's live show rivals larger name national acts and listening to their live and recorded work, one gets a very clear sense of their influences. Artists such as Modest Mouse, Prince, Radiohead, and Animal Collective, can be heard loud and clear in both the 1st and 2nd EPs, yet the boys of TLD bring something unique to the table: they are the music of Generation Y. Taking their queue from the contemporary greats, TLD combines talent with innovation. Using mixers and keys, hearty rock n' roll bass lines, brass interludes, and a playful falsetto lead vocal, these boys are on to something.

Upon arriving home after this introduction at Subterranean, I immediately downloaded the EPs from iTunes. Their freshman effort, The Loyal Divide, is a valiant premiere, songs like "Tease" and "Lights" are a bit too literal in terms of influence, but are still catchy and complex. And the most recent EP, Labrador, shows an obvious progression toward the cultivation of a signature sound for the band, as the music continues to grow more rich in it's complexity, "Vision Vision" is sexy & full of angst and "Young Blades" feels like a mechanical, macabre song from a Bollywood musical.

Later in the month, I met with The Loyal Divide before their show with Ultrasonik Edukators at Schuba's. Chris Sadek, the co-front man, is the first one there. We sit and talk over a beer while the rest of his band mates trickle in. The guys are warm, self-deprecating, and funny. We discuss the struggles of having to work day jobs that stifle and keep us from our true work, we talk about the direction of music and the direction of our country in to the 21st century. Originally from Ohio, percussionist Andrew McCarthy tells the story of how they became a band at Miami University of Ohio, traveled to Columbus after most of the band had graduated and began to learn the practical aspects of being artists, he says "We were trying to find ourselves, or what we thought we wanted to be and reconcile the artistic with the practical sides of being a band. I think the eventual goal for us is to be able to make music full time."

After having success in Columbus and releasing their first EP, it seemed time for The Loyal Divide to gain more exposure than Ohio could offer, so they packed up and moved to Sadek's hometown, Chicago! "It was between Chicago and New York" they tell me, "we picked Chicago because it was the most affordable to live in and Chris already knew his way around the local venues." Upon arrival the band quickly booked gigs at some of Chicago's best, garage venues including Elbo Room, The Kinetic Playground, Schubas, and The Empy Bottle.

All of the members of TLD are happy to admit that the move to Chicago took them out of their comfort zone and has had it's ups and downs. Adam Johnson, guitarist and songwriter of TLD laments the commute and talks about how riding the bus has inspired him to write more trance and dance music. This is what he himself listens to to drown out the city noise. "I don't feel the same emotional connection to songs as I used to. When I hear something I am analyzing it, deconstructing the layers. I think a lot of my approach to songwriting comes from a more intellectual standpoint now, putting together a song that is more than just writing guitar riffs and bass lines takes a lot of thought and planning."

Loyal Divide talks of their night-owl qualities, holing up in their Lakeview Practice space for hours after work, writing, practicing, and producing their oeuvre. It seems that the band actually is playing for their lives. I was reminded of the famous Rainer Maria Rilke quote from Letters to a Young Poet, " ask yourself in the most silent hour of your night: must I write? Dig into yourself for a deep answer. And if this answer rings out in assent, if you meet this solemn question with a strong, simple "I must," then build your life in accordance with this necessity; your whole life, even into its humblest and most indifferent hour, must become a sign and witness to this impulse." To Loyal Divide, making music is not a choice-they MUST create. And upon meeting them it is easy to see that their lives are a testament to their music.

As for the future of Loyal Divide, much is on the horizon. Beyond the ever growing crowds at their local gigs, they played Lovejoy's in Austin, TX on March 19th during SXSW, and on April 11th TLD will take the stage at the Congress Theatre, opening for Deadmau5, Late of the Pier, Crookers, and The Whip in the first concert of the Branded Series (www.branded-up.com). Is there another EP on the horizon? The band is always working, and I for one can't wait to hear what the Loyal Divide comes up with next.