Illinois (band)
Illinois | |
|---|---|
| File:Illinois - Cover Art.jpg Illinois the band | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Genres | Suburban Soul, Indie Rock, Indie Folk, Alternative Rock, Folk Rock, Adult Alt. |
| Years active | 2006–present |
| Labels | Rockhampton Records, +1 Records, Ace Fu Records |
| Members | Chris Archibald Martin Hoeger John-Paul Kuyper Jason Buzolits Matt Thieroff Andrew Lee |
| Past members | Daniel Pawlovich |
| Website | www |
Illinois is an American indie rock band from Bucks County, Pennsylvania fronted by singer/guitarist/banjoist/keyboardist Chris Archibald. The other members of the band are Martin Hoeger (bass, vocals), John Paul Kuyper (drums), Jason Buzolits (keyboard, synthesizer, guitar), Andrew Lee (guitar), and Matt Thieroff (guitar, percussion). The band is occasionally accompanied on stage by Dee Jay Skipmode (turntables). To date, the band has released five albums, the most recent a 2015 release entitled Shine.
Illinois continue with their genre spanning vastness that is part indie-folk rock with some pop-rock and when it all comes together they label it as “suburban soul music”. After three years in the making, the release of ‘Shine’ is a serious nod to what feels like Illinois’ resurgence.
History
llinois was formed in 2004 when childhood friends Chris Archibald (singer-songwriter, guitar, banjo, keys), Martin Hoeger (bass, vocals), and JohnPaul Kuyper (drums) got together to play and showcase Archibald’s prolific song catalog. With time came several lineup changes over the years but Archibald, Hoeger and Kuyper remain as the founding members with the seemingly permanent addition of Jason Buzolits (synthesizer, guitar, vocals), and Matt Thieroff (guitar, percussions) giving the band cohesion and constructing Illinois’ live performances with an impermeable wall of sound.
The band released their first EP ‘Revenge of Some Kid’ in 2006 and it caused quite a buzz in the industry. After signing with Ace Fu the band released the EP ‘What The Hell Do I Know’ to critical acclaim. Ace Fu and Illinois followed that release up with a single “We Were Wrong” in 2008. As the industry crumbled so did many labels including Ace Fu. Illinois found a home at +1 Records and set to release their first LP ‘The Adventures of Kid Catastrophe’ in 2009. It was an auspicious effort that started with digital downloads of 3 songs released in monthly chapters and a short movie accompanied each chapter. After the six-month long affair all the chapters came together for the full release. In 2011 Illinois self-released their fourth album ‘Lemonade Stand’ a retrospective album featuring several demos from the hundreds written from 2004 to 2010.
Sometime in 2011, the band left +1 Records and created Rockhampton Records with fellow band Eastern Conference Champions. After three hard years at work, setbacks and detours notwithstanding, Illinois released the long awaited record Shine. The release will certainly lead to more shows and activity from the band. As Illinois explains it “with everything the industry is going through there is really no reason to give up control of our art. There is really no telling where Illinois will go next, we just know we can’t stop.” Stay tuned for more.
The group's song "Nosebleed" was featured in the season three episode of Weeds, called, "The Brick Dance." "Hang On" was featured on the soundtrack for the video game, NBA 2K10.
“When you have the opportunity, go see these guys live. Their energy’s buzzy, friendly, bring the roof down fun.” — Luxury Wafers
“Stylistic schizophrenia – which is to say, there is something there for everyone: a manic mix of banjo-laced saloon anthems, hip hop beats, rip-roaring electric guitar riffs, and tender acoustic soul-searching – traversing fresh genre terrain seemingly with every passing track.” – SPIN
Members
- Current
- Chris Archibald - vocals, guitar, keyboards, banjo
- Martin Hoeger - bass, vocals
- John-Paul Kuyper - drums
- Jason Buzolits - guitar, keyboards, vocals
- Andrew Lee - guitar, keyboards, vocals, dancing, magic
- Matt Thieroff - guitar, percussion
- Previous
- Daniel Pawlovich - guitar, keyboards, vocals
Discography
- Revenge of Some Kid EP (2006)
- What the Hell Do I Know? EP (Ace Fu Records, 2007)
- We Were Wrong Single (Ace Fu Records, 2008)
- The Adventures of Kid Catastrophe Deluxe Edition LP (+1 Records, May 5, 2009)
- Lemonade Stand LP (Self-released, July 21, 2011)
- Shine LP (Self-released, February 24, 2015)