By ERIC SCHELKOPF
Chicago band Great Divide will bring its soul based rock to the North Coast Music Festival on Sunday, Sept. 4.
The band, which formed in Ann Arbor, Mich., www.greatdivideband.com, is now calling Chicago home. Great Divide will perform from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. on The Named After Groupon Stage at the festival, being held at Union Park, 1501 W. Randolph St., Chicago.
More information about the festival is available at www.northcoastfestival.com.
I had the chance to talk to Great Divide keyboard player Jeff Leibovich and the band about Great Divide's latest activities.
Q - North Coast Music Festival features an eclectic lineup of bands. How do you think
Great Divide fits into the festival? Do you think the festival will
provide a new audience for the band?
Great Divide's sound combines influences from many
genres of music. Just as North Coast is eclectic, so is our sound. One
thing that any music festival allows is for new ears to hear our music. North Coast is a great opportunity for us as it's in our backyard here
in Chicago.
Q - What was your vision for the band? Do you think the band has lived up to that vision?
The
vision for this band is to make music that people enjoy. We're not
trying to recreate the wheel, just make music that we'd like to listen
to. One thing we are very cognizant of is the fact that we are a song
based band.
Q - How
is the band dealing with the departure of Joey Gaon? Was his departure
expected? How do you think his departure will change the dimension of
the band? Do you already have a replacement?
Joey's
departure caught us by surprise for sure. Joey was not only a founding
member of this band, but is also a good friend of all of ours. That part
will not change.
We value all the input Joey had on our tunes, the
direction of the band and of course, all the memories we got to share
with him. As of now, Jeff Burke has stepped in as our lead guitarist.
Jeff has a different sound than Joey, but one that still fits within
Great Divide. Jeff had already been a part of the "band" as he has been
helping with production and putting his input on the new album. All this
does is solidify this.
Q - What made the band want to move to Chicago? What do you think of the Chicago music scene?
As a band that formed at the University of Michigan, we had already began to establish some Midwestern roots.
Combining that
with the fact that I am originally from Chicago,
interned at a few studios around town and had some in's with the local
music scene, it seemed like a no brainer.
As for the scene here in
Chicago, we are really proud to be part of this scene. Musicians here
look out for each other. All the bands we've crossed paths with have
been stellar players, great people and above all, very real people. From
fellow North Coast bands like The Right Now, The Coop, Midwest
Hype, Van Ghost and Loyal Divide to bands like How Far to Austin, The Down Feathers, Ben Ripani Music Co & The Hue, we feel we're in some good company.
Q - The band's music crosses into several music genres. How would you
describe the band's sound? Who are the band's biggest influences?
We like to think of our sound as soul based rock.
While each player has influences spanning many genres, bands and
artists, I'd say Great Divide draws much of our influence from The Band,
Little Feat, Bill Withers as well as modern bands like The Black Keys
& Wilco to name a few.
Q - The band is working on a new album. What should people expect from the
new album? Is the song "Fima" a good representation of what the new
album will sound like?
The new album is something we are really excited
about for many reasons. First, we've matured as a band, as songwriters
and as studio musicians.
We are also in a great spot as we have our own
studio equipped with some great gear. We've got plenty of vintage and
modern gear allowing us to really craft our sound.
The fact that we're
in our own studio also allows us to really hone in our tones without
being "on the clock". Our new album is a little more focused and
cohesive.
While we are still working out some of the tunes, I'd say "Fima"
is a pretty good representation of what the new album will sound like.
We'll have plenty of that upbeat sound, but we're also going more in a
direction of four-on-the-floor rock. Guess you'll have to get the album to
see if you agree.
Q - What are the band's short term and long term goals?
Our biggest goal in the short term is to get the album done and get some legs under it with a tour, proper coverage, etc. In the long term, I think I speak for the whole band when I say we'd like to take Great Divide to the level where we can all quit our day jobs and live off our music. How we get there is to be determined.
