Elmhurst's The Orwells bring '80s twist to third album
Matt O'Keefe, guitarist in local garage-punk band The Orwells, remembers when the main thing he and his bandmates worried about was getting copies of their album to as many classmates as possible in the halls at Elmhurst's York High School.
The stakes have changed a bit since then.
After the release of two acclaimed full-length records, two celebrated appearances on “Late Night with David Letterman” and tours that have taken them all over the world, O'Keefe and his bandmates, now in their early 20s, realize that this band of theirs isn't kid stuff.
“It's weird because we were teenagers when this started,” O'Keefe said, speaking on the phone from Paris during a break in the band's European tour. “But now it's this real, grown-up thing. Like the other guys, I had to make the choice of either going to school (after graduating from York) or pursuing this full-time. And now, this is what I do. It's my job. And I realize how fortunate I am to be able to say that.”
The Orwells - O'Keefe, guitarist Dominic Corso, bassist Grant Brinner, drummer Henry Brinner and singer Mario Cuomo - released their first album, “Remember When,” in 2012, when they were still suburban high-schoolers. Right away they turned heads with their snotty brand of classic garage rock. Their well-regarded follow-up, “Disgraceland,” came out in 2014.
The band has just released its third full-length, “Terrible Human Beings” (Canvasback). The album continues the band's fondness for fast, grimy rock 'n' roll, but with an '80s twist. Many of the songs, including the singles “Buddy” and “They Put a Body in the Bayou,” feature the droning guitars and soft-loud-soft dynamic of legendary noise-rockers The Pixies. And the song “Black Francis” specifically pays tribute to the Pixies' frontman.
“We were something like 13 years old when we discovered (the Pixies' second album) 'Doolittle,'” O'Keefe said. “And that sound was definitely on our minds as we made this record. The Pixies were amazing at creating these songs that were stripped down and catchy ..., but also really weird. We wanted to capture some of that.”
“Terrible Human Beings” also features what has until now been unthinkable for an Orwells record - a track that exceeds the seven-minute mark. O'Keefe said the song, “Double Feature,” which closes the record, is one of the highlights of the album for him.
“It was fun because we'd never done anything like that before,” he said. “We pushed into different territory and created something that is unique for us, but still sounds like an Orwells song.”
The band recorded “Terrible Human Beings” at Chicago's Electrical Audio studio with producer Jim Abiss, who had worked with the band on some of the “Disgraceland” tracks. O'Keefe said he's happy with the sound of the record, and with the way the songs came together.
“Writing this one felt different,” he said. “We took our time, discussed things more. I liked the process, and I hope fans dig the record as much as we do.”
The Orwells will begin a U.S. tour on March 16 with a hometown show at Chicago's Metro. The band's live shows have become a big part of its mystique. Frontman Mario Cuomo, in particular, is a striking, swaggering presence on stage, with his mane of blond hair and intense demeanor.
“The shows in Europe have been great, especially because a lot of them happened after the record came out,” O'Keefe said. “Now we're definitely looking forward to playing for the fans at home.”
The Orwells
When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 16
Where: Metro, 3730 N. Clark St., Chicago, (773) 549-4140,
Tickets: $22