An Engaging Story with Every Track
Band: OK Cool
Genre: Indie/Emo
For fans of: Joyce Manor, Indigo de Souza, PUP, Alex G
Founded: 2020
From: Chicago, Illinois
This DIY duo is always innovative, always artful, and never predictable. OK Cool has been releasing singles and EPs since they formed in 2020, quickly earning a reputation as inventive songwriters who never phone it in musically.
Their first full length album, released earlier in 2023, proved even more experimental than their previous endeavors. fawn is available now, an eight-track grab bag of fresh musical ideas and honest emotional expression. Three singles from the album have made a splash on Chicago’s indie scene and further impressed fans with their conceptual and visually enthralling music videos.
OK Cool - fawn
Released 2023
Standout tracks:
• normal c
• nissanweekends
• soaked in
The band pulls from whatever emotion they feel during a writing session, resting on some unique melodic motifs and lyrical sentiments. As such, every song on fawn very much evokes its own feel that is separate from the rest of the tracks.
Look forward to some shimmering guitar tones, interesting time-based effects, and structural choices that defy genre. OK Cool say that they weren’t going for any one sound, they just let the music speak for itself.
“It’s been really cool to see reviews that include other peoples’ interpretations of the art,” said Bridget Stiebris (guitar, vocals). “It’s really there for whatever you interpret it as. We’re not picky!”
Songwriting Process
Bridget and Haley started using music as an emotional and recreational outlet when they would hang out after the 2020 lockdowns. From the start, their artistic process was to capture their genuine emotions.
“For all of our songs,” explains Haley Blomquist (bass), “it’s about capturing the stress, joy, sadness, or boredom of the moment. And if someone hears that down the line and it resonates, that’s a cherry on top.”
Bridget: “When I’m looking to make a song, it’s like, well what would I want to hear? And the things that I want to listen to are often grungy, math-emo, stuff like Joyce Manor and Glockamora.”
The duo are self-proclaimed fans of “stuff that has pensive lyrics, texture, those really shimmery guitars, and interesting rhythms.”
“It’s about capturing the stress, joy, sadness, or boredom of the moment. And if someone hears that down the line and it resonates, that’s a cherry on top.”
-Haley Blomquist, bass
“I always try to get better at just getting weirder and making it work,” said Bridget. You can definitely hear this ambition throughout the band’s discography so far. Every song introduces some new tones and brings the listener to a totally different place than all the previous songs.
Collaborative Spirit
OK Cool has managed to gain traction in a relatively short amount of time by staying true to their artistic vision. It’s been exciting to see them continually turn original new ideas into songs, collaborating with local session musicians to achieve an engaging live sound. The drummers and lead guitarists they tour with bring their own flair to live shows.
What’s more, the band isn’t afraid to take on joint projects with other local artists, such as video director Joe Baughman.
“Joe Baughman is an incredible artist in every capacity,” says Haley. “He makes awesome videos (including our “nissanweekends” video) and puts on great shows. He deserves 100 recognition points.”
The band is more than happy to let the artists they collaborate with bring their own unique contributions to the songs’ themes. Many different creative voices are present in just about everything the band does these days, and we can’t wait to see what concepts and artistic premises they will come up with next.
“It’s been cool to see other peoples’ interpretations of the art. It’s really there for whatever you interpret it as. We’re not picky!”
-Bridget Stiebris, guitar, vocals
Recording Insights
OK Cool demonstrates that at-home recordings can still make the album!
“Usually we try and record as much as possible from home,” said Bridget. “We always record drums in a studio since those tend to be trickier to pull off DIY-style.”
The recordings on fawn all sound polished while maintaining a raw feel. Mixed by Andrew R. Humphrey, the album displays a clear variety in mixing and mastering techniques. “treat me nice” breaks into a quantized drum beat halfway through that re-contextualizes the whole song.
What's Next for OK Cool
Upcoming Shows:
• September 21, 2023 @ Beat Kitchen, Chicago IL
• October 19, 2023 @ Color Club, Chicago IL
• November 17 @ Empty Bottle, Chicago IL
You can support OK Cool by streaming their music, attending shows, or buying merch!
Thank you for reading and for supporting independent music!
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