Stolen Silver is the musical culmination of a decade-long friendship between songwriters Levi Britton and Dan Myers. It's a union that dates back to their days as roommates in Chicago's Logan Square neighborhood, one that entails a history as previous touring bandmates, collaborators and, most importantly, singers. Their voices are instruments, seemingly effortless and vital to their mutual craft. On their 2011 self-titled EP co-produced with John Ovnik, their styles swerve along a spectrum that spans from Indie-Folk to Americana, from Pop-Rock to more explorative soundtrack moments where the spaces in the songs are equally important to their narrative, undoubtedly due to Myers' work as a film composer. Their sound and catalog has steadily evolved, as has their lineup. Since their initial vision of a folk duo, they've expanded to a full six-piece assembly, a collection of seasoned multi-instrumentalists and drummers comprised of guitarist/vocalist Christopher Sterr, bassist John Paul, and drummer/percussionists Jonathan Tornga and Shawn Rios. This latest chapter takes them into unfamiliar territory both in the studio and on the stage, where ideas are fresh and nothing is left unattempted. Half of the band resides in Chicago while the other hails from Traverse City, Michigan- a circumstance that forces them out on the road while leaving plenty of room for both immediacy and intimacy to take shape.
Over the past three years, praise and momentum continue to build. Their hard work has delivered headlining bills at LA's Hotel Cafe and Chicago's renowned venues Hideout, Empty Bottle, Ravinia and Schubas, where they hosted a month-long residency after releasing a video for their previous single "Carbon Copy." They've earned the seal of approval from WXRT and WLUW Radio, WGN-TV, UR Chicago, American Way and the Tribune's Red Eye edition. Spots in the audience become harder to snag as they release their follow-up, the anticipated full-length We Have Everything / We Have Nothing (available on vinyl + digital + disc May 10), a result of two years of work that leans heavily on Myers' lengthy divorce in 2012. The group worked once again in Chicago with Ovnik at the dials while it was mastered by Grammy Award-winning engineer Doug Sax (Pink Floyd, The Rolling Stones). Upon first listen, it's clear this is not a breakup record; rather it's ultimately a record of hope and resolve- and the journey to arrive there. What's also clear from the start is how far Stolen Silver has grown as a band. The album is a dense new offering of twelve songs- singles like the uplifting endurance rocker Prefontaine, the dramatic Awake And Alive, and the vulnerable harmony-laden I Stay Lonely flirt with radio potential while the arrangements here are rich and the songs carry an artistic depth that is uncompromising. We Have Everything / We Have Nothing represents a group that stands to build the perfect acoustic facade while expertly demolishing it, rising in it's place a structure of challenging hooks, golden-layered harmonies, and a latticework of electric guitar atmospheres and percussive textures that still wouldn't be out of place with where they've come from. It shouldn't be long before the rest of America gets to watch this happen.
Over the past three years, praise and momentum continue to build. Their hard work has delivered headlining bills at LA's Hotel Cafe and Chicago's renowned venues Hideout, Empty Bottle, Ravinia and Schubas, where they hosted a month-long residency after releasing a video for their previous single "Carbon Copy." They've earned the seal of approval from WXRT and WLUW Radio, WGN-TV, UR Chicago, American Way and the Tribune's Red Eye edition. Spots in the audience become harder to snag as they release their follow-up, the anticipated full-length We Have Everything / We Have Nothing (available on vinyl + digital + disc May 10), a result of two years of work that leans heavily on Myers' lengthy divorce in 2012. The group worked once again in Chicago with Ovnik at the dials while it was mastered by Grammy Award-winning engineer Doug Sax (Pink Floyd, The Rolling Stones). Upon first listen, it's clear this is not a breakup record; rather it's ultimately a record of hope and resolve- and the journey to arrive there. What's also clear from the start is how far Stolen Silver has grown as a band. The album is a dense new offering of twelve songs- singles like the uplifting endurance rocker Prefontaine, the dramatic Awake And Alive, and the vulnerable harmony-laden I Stay Lonely flirt with radio potential while the arrangements here are rich and the songs carry an artistic depth that is uncompromising. We Have Everything / We Have Nothing represents a group that stands to build the perfect acoustic facade while expertly demolishing it, rising in it's place a structure of challenging hooks, golden-layered harmonies, and a latticework of electric guitar atmospheres and percussive textures that still wouldn't be out of place with where they've come from. It shouldn't be long before the rest of America gets to watch this happen.
STOLEN SILVER
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We Have Everything We Have Nothing
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