OK Cool
Across the ten tracks on their debut album Chit Chat, Bridget Stiebris (she/her) and Haley Blomquist Waller (she/her) of OK Cool not only build on the trademark sound that helped grant them their status as one of the most exciting bands in Chicago’s thriving DIY scene, but also explore new musical and thematic ideas that push their artistry in exciting directions.
That Stiebris and Blomquist can evolve while maintaining what has consistently made them great since their inception five years ago shows how keenly aware they are of their strengths, and also how willing they are to keep discovering new places for their sound to go after three EPs.
The new album was entirely written, performed, and produced by the duo, with engineering support from fellow Chicago musicians Avery Black, Brad Harvey, and Wesley Reno, and pulls from new material as well as songs the band had written as far back as 2019.
“I feel like we’ve made a point to keep the dynamic and way of creating the music the same as we’re still finding our voice and style in all of this,” says Stiebris. “I think our genre, for instance, is a collage of all the stuff we like that we don’t intend on parsing out.”
“We love keeping our production minimal and just between the two of us,” says Blomquist. “It creates a comfortable environment for sharing and recording ideas. While we have some different influences, we’re very like minded when it comes to songwriting.”
Chit Chat pulls influence from a wide range of contemporary indie artists who value lyricism and experimenting with production and form, such as Great Grandpa, Rosie Tucker, Indigo De Souza, Illuminati Hotties, Alex G and Oso Oso. The album blends songs with hooky melodies (“Fading Out Forever”), shoegaze sensibilities (“Splitting”), guitar theatrics (“Jeans (I Get It Now)”) and even delicate piano (“Loop”), but these tracks never feel disparate thanks to the thoughtful songwriting and instrumentation that fans have come to expect from OK Cool.
Press photo by Tracy Conoboy
Preorder "Chit Chat" vinyl HERE!
https://kleptophase.com/products/ok-cool-chit-chat-lp
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