That's 100 in bread years!
Ten years ago today, I convinced Charlie Crane, Thomas Zeitner, Zach Sigelko, and Sarah Scanlon to help me play some songs I'd written at a taping of Chicago Acoustic Underground. During that session, someone referred to the group as Liz and the Baguettes, everyone laughed, and that was that.
At the time, Charlie, Thomas, Zach, and I had already been playing together for a while as the Loudness War, itself in its second version (Loudness War Starship, I suppose). And Thomas, Zach, Sarah, and I were all in the Strange Tree production of The Dead Prince, a folk musical. When I wanted to expand my own sound beyond what I could do alone, it was natural to turn to the people with whom I was already making music.
The CAU session was not the first time we'd played music of mine—"Grace" had been in at least one Loudness War set earlier that year—but it was the first time we kind of recognized the project as something new. A few weeks later I played what was supposed to be a solo set at LiveWire, and the band joined me for most of it. By early 2014, we were recording an album at the Workshop Jones.
At the time, Charlie, Thomas, Zach, and I had already been playing together for a while as the Loudness War, itself in its second version (Loudness War Starship, I suppose). And Thomas, Zach, Sarah, and I were all in the Strange Tree production of The Dead Prince, a folk musical. When I wanted to expand my own sound beyond what I could do alone, it was natural to turn to the people with whom I was already making music.
The CAU session was not the first time we'd played music of mine—"Grace" had been in at least one Loudness War set earlier that year—but it was the first time we kind of recognized the project as something new. A few weeks later I played what was supposed to be a solo set at LiveWire, and the band joined me for most of it. By early 2014, we were recording an album at the Workshop Jones.
Since then the lineup has shifted a bit, ebbed and flowed as lives have changed. Liesl Downey joined us in the recording sessions for Everything I Think I Know Is Wrong. Andy Miles subbed in on drums once or twice. David Chervony played bass when Thomas went off to live in Hawaii. Julie Jurgens started singing harmony during the sessions for Highway Gothic. Every person has made it better.
Mostly this all feels like incredible luck. A lot of bands don't get to year ten. A lot of bands didn't survive COVID. A lot of songwriters burn out. A lot of bandmates can't stand each other. (It's possible that we have avoided quite a few problems by the simple expedient of never making enough money to afford cocaine.)
If you've listened, watched, clicked, clapped, danced, worn a T-shirt, booked us, shared a lineup, worked sound, stamped hands at the door: you're a part of this too. And I am so, so grateful. Thank you, friends.
Mostly this all feels like incredible luck. A lot of bands don't get to year ten. A lot of bands didn't survive COVID. A lot of songwriters burn out. A lot of bandmates can't stand each other. (It's possible that we have avoided quite a few problems by the simple expedient of never making enough money to afford cocaine.)
If you've listened, watched, clicked, clapped, danced, worn a T-shirt, booked us, shared a lineup, worked sound, stamped hands at the door: you're a part of this too. And I am so, so grateful. Thank you, friends.
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