Chicago band The Claudettes to celebrate release of new album with show at Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago

By ERIC SCHELKOPF

 

Chicago band The Claudettes certainly has its fair share of news these days.

Drummer Michael Caskey, who formed the band with pianist, singer and songwriter Johnny Iguana, recently left The Claudettes. The band will release its seventh album, "Garage Glamour," on Chicago independent label Pravda Records in June.

The Claudettes will celebrate the release of the album with a show at 8 p.m. May 2 at the Old Town School of Folk Music's Myron R. Szold Music & Dance Hall, 4545 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago.

Tickets are available at oldtownschool.org.

I had the chance to talk to Iguana about the band and the new album.

Q – The last time we spoke was in November 2022, when Berit Ulseth was the lead singer. Your current singer, Rachel Williams, joined The Claudettes in December 2022.

And of course the band has a lot going on these days. The band’s seventh album, “Garage Glamour,” will be released in June. You also just announced that the drummer and co-founder of The Claudettes, Michael Caskey, has left the band.

I have seen the band perform a couple of times and it seems like you and Michael had a great connection with each other on stage.

What are you going to miss about him not being in the band?

We had such a chemistry and rapport. Every group of humans that makes up a band has its own flavor.

The new drummer, Liz Ele, has been in Chicago for years playing with mostly cover bands, but with some other bands as well.

And she's a really good rock 'n' roll drummer. She's incredibly excited to be doing this and playing with me and this band.

The practice sessions have been going really great. 

Q – We were talking about Rachel earlier. She is quite the force on stage.

 

What do you think she has brought to the band?

One of the first shows that we did with her was an outdoor show in Rockford. And this woman afterwards said, 'When Rachel came out on stage, it was majestic.'

She seems to conserve all her energy for the stage. I think she's really going to turn heads with this album because she sings really heartfelt soulful stuff.

Q – It seems like she is really fitting in with the band. I've watched some of the fun videos that you've done, like when you're out shopping for a piano.

 

Q – The first track off the new album, "(You Are My) Whole World,” features Chicago blues legend John Primer in a duet with Rachel. I know you have performed with him before. 

What made you think he would be a good fit for the song and did the results exceed your expectations?

 

I heard him in my head because as much as he is known as a blues musician, he also put out an album called "The Soul of a Blues Man," where he is singing songs like "Rainy Night in Georgia" and some '60s and '70s soul songs. And he's so good at it.

 

I think he's one of the greatest soul singers alive. I asked him and he agreed to do it.

He just suddenly discovered this song while the tapes were rolling. And it was such a thing of beauty.

 

We were all just really moved by it. It really is a passionate love song.