Reunion tour, House of Blues show just the start for indie rock's Company of Thieves

“Hiatus” means different things to different bands. For Company of Thieves, hitting the pause button in 2014 gave the band a breather — followed by a fresh start.

Company of Thieves has embarked upon a reunion this year without the support of a label. Donations help fund the band's do-it-yourself reunion tour, which includes a Friday Night show at Chicago's House of Blues.

The band's first new song since 2011, “Treasure,” is available for free download at the Company of Thieves Bandcamp page with the option to purchase.

It's a tougher road, but the creative freedom independent status affords seems to make the new venture worthwhile for guitarist and Roselle native Marc Walloch.

“There's potential that I feel we haven't fully tapped into over the years, and we're just really excited to do it and have the freedom to find ourselves and discover a new sound,” the guitarist said.

“It's a gift and we really just want to pay honor to it.”

Company of Thieves — an indie rock trio featuring Walloch, vocalist Genevieve Schatz and drummer Chris Faller — got its start in 2006.

“I grew up in the suburbs and then moved to the city at 17. That's when I met Gen and went from there,” said Walloch of a chance encounter on a train platform at Union Station.

The band released “Ordinary Riches” in 2009 and “Running From a Gamble” in 2011 that were powered by a 2009 appearance on Daryl Hall's “Live From Daryl's House” in its earliest days as an internet-only venture.

By 2014, though, band members needed a break.

“Genevieve and I have been inseparable since we were 18 years old. So we've been through a lot together. We've never really had space as friends,” Walloch explained of the reasoning behind the initial hiatus. “I think over the years it just kind of reached that point where it hit the ceiling and we needed to take a breather for a minute.”

During the hiatus, Schatz worked on her debut solo album “Show Your Colors” while Walloch found work as guitarist for actress-turned-rocker Juliette Lewis and as touring bassist for Awolnation. Walloch also released a solo EP titled “Through the Seasons” under the moniker Spill.

They were living in Los Angeles, and fate kept throwing them together.

“Every time we ran into Marc, we were just kind of overwhelmed with the amount of love that we all shared,” Schatz said of a series of encounters that she and drummer Faller had with Walloch during the hiatus. “We're all in this new city in our lives and we validate each other's history as human beings. We are so young and we have so much more to create together.”

While many bands reunite, what sets this Company of Thieves reunion apart is that desire not to just capitalize on nostalgia, but to try new things and create music that continues to resonate.

Walloch understands that while relevance is difficult to reestablish, it's crucial to each band member moving forward. “A reunion tour is a really exciting way to say hello again but once we get home from the tour, we want to get back on the schedule of just writing a bunch of music, finding a new sound and exploring who we are as a band right now,” he said.

With “Treasure,” the band pushes the Company of Thieves sound forward. Walloch's guitar cuts through the beat like a buzz saw while the lyrics take on contemporary culture in a way Company of Thieves never has before. The new song delves into a Donald Trump-led America, portraying a place where love, empathy, truth and respect often seem to be in short supply. Ultimately, the song asks: How could a businessman take all the love?

“For me it is a double meaning. There's the obvious, 'How could this dude take all the love?!' But what I'm also saying is, 'How could he really take all the love?' Let's look inside of ourselves and let's figure it out. (Let's) tell the truth and treat each other with kindness and respect,” said Schatz.

As difficult as it is to balance their collective projects, each band member seems committed to making the Company of Thieves reunion a success.

“The thread that has always kind of linked Marc and I is this rebellious nature that we have. We can't help it. It's sort of beyond us even,” Schatz said.

“It's just a gift that we're able to still be friends and still be a band after all this time,” said Walloch. “ … I think that's what we're coming to realize and why we're coming back.”

Company of Thieves

<b>When:</b> Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 22

<b>Where:</b> House of Blues, 329 N. Dearborn St., Chicago, (312) 923-2000, <a href="http://http://www.ticketmaster.com/Company-of-Thieves-tickets/artist/1312891">ticketmaster.com</a>

<b>Tickets:</b> $15-$20