Naperville-area band ready for big breakout hit
The upcoming single "Hospital" means a lot for Naperville-area band Killed by the 1st.
The group filmed a video for the song -- in a dilapidated Naperville house -- that's sure to win it wider attention once posted on MySpace and YouTube.
And though the band hasn't yet recorded the song, its growing fan legion already likes it.
But that's cause for both celebration and consternation for a band on the brink, said lead guitarist Josh Niemiera.
"It's kind of a depart(ure) from what our normal stuff sounds like," the Bolingbrook native said, adding that it's always a little nerve-wracking when a band branches out into new territory.
Killed by the 1st's music -- mostly written by lead vocalist Chris Kasianczuk of Naperville and Jeff Edwards of Bolingbrook -- is "modern-day hard core," Kasianczuk says.
Niemiera calls it "alternative metal or 'screamo' or hard core." They agree it sounds a little like Under Oath, Hopesfall and Every Time I Die.
"Hospital" takes on the subject of a hospital fire in Georgia and a boy who haunts the hallways of the ruins.
As band members were scouting sites for the video, they found an empty house near Oxford Lane and Hobson Road in Naperville.
"We walked through there and decided it would be a cool place to shoot a video," Kasianczuk said. "It's a really rundown, abandoned house."
They sought the owner's permission and got it.
"We kind of dressed it up and made it look shootable," he said, adding that the shoot was done in a single session. "We started at 3 and wrapped around 12:30. It was a long day."
Fans and their friends soon will be able to see the results on the band's Myspace site: www.myspace.com/killedbythe1st. The band also may share the video on YouTube.
Already, Killed by the 1st has created two self-produced and distributed CDs, and the foursome is recording a five-song EP.
Even while recording, Killed by the 1st keeps up a brisk performance schedule. The band plays live six to eight times a month, said Niemiera, 24.
As Killed by the 1st gathers its following of predominantly high school- and junior high-aged fans, it plays in a lot of churches and other local venues, plus a few sites in Chicago, Kasianczuk said.
The band's also working to build a regional audience through concerts in Indianapolis; Portage, Wisc.; and Kalamazoo, Mich.
"We're just trying to make an impact through the music and through the performance," Niemiera said. "A lot of the songs have a message or a meaning behind it. Whatever music we put out means something to us."
Most of the songs deliver messages on such topics as heartbreak, politics and being true to yourself, Niemiera said.
Niemiera said the band's name is a reference to the First Amendment.
"(It's about) having free speech and being able to say what you want," he said. "It's not like we're offensive and saying offensive things. A lot kids today, they follow the pack. They're afraid to step out of line."
Meet the band
Chris Kasianczuk, 20, sings lead vocals. He's from Naperville and graduated from Waubonsie Valley High School.
Josh Niemiera, 24, plays lead guitar. He's from Bolingbrook and is studying music business and marketing at Columbia College in Chicago.
Jeff Edwards plays drums and writes the songs with Kasianczuk. He's from Bolingbrook and met Niemiera at Columbia College.
Jason Schaufer of Lemont is the newly recruited bass guitarist.
See a show
Today: 5:45 p.m. at The Black Forest Inn, Portage Wisc.
Nov. 16: 5:30 p.m. at First Congregational Church, 25 E. Benton Ave., Naperville
Nov. 30: 8 p.m. at The Attic, Plainfield, Ind.
Dec. 9: 6 p.m. at Doug's American Grill, 333 E. Indian Trail, Aurora