I spent the last weekend of September in Southern California at the Awake and Aware Conference in Irvine, near Los Angeles. It was a conference on Consciousness and the coming Global Shift that many are predicting and perceiving on the Earth. The conference was hosted by Kerry Cassidy of Project Camelot.org and Bill Ryan from [...]
Our Story
Illinois hails from Bucks County,Pa and is made up of Chris Archibald(banjo,guitar,keys,vocals), Martin Hoeger(bass,vocals), John Paul Kuyper(drums), Jason Buzolits (keys,guitar,vocals). The band is occasionally joined on stage by Craig Labor(percussion),Scott Labor(keys,misc) from The Orange Apples.. The boys of Illinois also like to invite their favorite turntable specialist Dj Skipmode with them on stage. Whatever the lineup consists of the live show is always something to behold.
The combination of lively drum beats and melodic banjo riffs with the complementary guitar and bass lines gives Illinois a very unique sound that is difficult to describe and even more difficult to categorize. There's a very obvious indie-folk element along with some bright pop-rock sound, but the overall result is something one must hear firsthand.
The lyrical depth of the Kinks sauteed with the musical overtones of the Flaming Lips and John Spencer Blues Explosion reduction" gushed one critic. Regardless of your leanings, and whether you're happy, mellow, drunk or confused, Illinois plays beautiful music that makes old loves new and the green grass grow."AMAZON
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
After taking some time off from a grueling road schedule the band got back to work releasing their fourth record "Lemonade Stand". It is a retrospective album of some of their 700 demos that span the years 2004-2010. They have also been hard at work in the studio since the summer of 2011 recording all new material and are hoping for a early 2012 release.
The band released their first EP "Revenge of Some Kid" in 2006 and it caused quite 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 crumbles so do many label including Ace Fu. The Boys of Illinois find 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 and a short movie for six separate "chapters". All the "chapters" came together for the full release.
These days the boys are doing it all them selves. Lemonade Stand is the first Illinois record released on homegrown "Rockhampton Records". Rockhampton Records is a partnership between Illinois and fellow Buck's County natives Eastern Conference Champions. 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 cant stop.
