Chin Up Chin Up
Encyclopedia
Chin Up Chin Up was an American indie pop
band formed in Chicago in 2001.
, and Make Believe
. Chris Dye played drums
. Greg Sharp played the keyboards
.
. After positive local reviews, the band toured with a variety of bands, including: Appleseed Cast, the Mercury Program
, Pedro the Lion
, the American Analog Set, Broken Social Scene
, Smog
, Minus the Bear
, and Pinback
. Soon after, the band began to record their debut album, We Should Have Never Lived Like We Were Skyscrapers
, with John Congleton
. Late at night on February 14, 2004, Chris Saathoff was killed in a hit and run
accident as he was leaving a Ponys show at a local bar, the Empty Bottle, with his girlfriend. After their benefit shows in honor of their friend, Chin Up Chin Up regrouped to finish recording their album, We Should Have Never Lived Like We Were Skyscrapers, in which some of the bass lines Chris Saathoff had previously recorded while composing the album were used where possible. The album was released in 2004 on Flameshovel Records
. Chin Up Chin Up released This Harness Can't Ride Anything
on October 10, 2006. They released it on Suicide Squeeze
, a Seattle-based indie rock record label.
During most of 2007 Chin Up Chin Up promoted their new album This Harness Can't Ride Anything by performing many shows. Also for the first time they set foot outside North America to tour through Europe. Late 2007, after their last tour through the west of the USA, they decided that they needed a break. In 2008 Chin Up Chin Up kept very quiet, feeding rumours they had broken up. But in June 2008 they denied this. On their official site it was stated that the five of them "have just taken some time off to work on other things in their lives".
However, nine months later, in March 2009 lead singer Jeremy Bolen announced on the band's myspace page that Chin Up Chin Up had indeed broken up. Bolen: "So I am writing this to announce that chin up chin up will be playing our final show, at the empty bottle in chicago on may 15th. I think I can speak for all of us when I say that we really had intentions to keep making music together for an infinite amount of time, but just as this band began in a natural way it is naturally coming to an end. Thank you to the hundreds of people who have helped us along the way, we have been truly lucky, and as cliché as it may sound, we could not have done any of this without you. Much love- Jeremy".
Bolen, Burg, and Sharp went on to play in Vacations, and Dye plays drums in Speck Mountain and The Sweeps.
Indie pop
Indie pop is a genre of alternative rock music that originated in the United Kingdom in the mid 1980s, with its roots in the Scottish post-punk bands on the Postcard Records label in the early '80s, such as Orange Juice, Josef K and Aztec Camera, and the dominant UK independent band of the mid...
band formed in Chicago in 2001.
Members
Jeremy Bolen, formerly of Punjab and The Hertzsprung Gap, sang and played guitar. Nathan Snydacker, formerly of Nymb, played guitar. Chris Saathoff played bass and, after his death in 2004, was replaced by Jesse Woghin. Woghin was later replaced by Bobby Burg of Love of Everything, Joan of ArcJoan of Arc (band)
Joan of Arc are an American indie rock band from Chicago, Illinois. They formed in 1995, following the breakup of Cap'n Jazz.Singer Tim Kinsella has been the only permanent member of the group; he has also recorded as a solo artist....
, and Make Believe
Make Believe (band)
Make Believe is an indie rock band, initially formed as a touring version of Joan of Arc. The band was initially composed of singer Tim Kinsella, guitarist Sam Zurick, bassist Bobby Burg, and drummer/keyboardist Nate Kinsella. After 3 months of touring as Joan Of Arc the quartet returned home and...
. Chris Dye played drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
. Greg Sharp played the keyboards
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
.
History
Immediately after forming, the band spent eight months recording their self-titled EPExtended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
. After positive local reviews, the band toured with a variety of bands, including: Appleseed Cast, the Mercury Program
The Mercury Program
The Mercury Program is an American musical group composed of Dave Lebleu on drums, Sander Travisano on bass guitar, Tom Reno on guitar, and Whit Travisano on vibraphone and piano. They are based in Gainesville, FL. The first three members formed a trio in August 1997 and Whit Travisano joined in...
, Pedro the Lion
Pedro the Lion
Pedro the Lion was an indie rock band from Seattle, Washington. Singer-songwriter David Bazan formed the band in 1995 and represented its main creative force, backed by a varying rotation of collaborating musicians. T. W. Walsh is considered to be the sole official band member besides Bazan. In...
, the American Analog Set, Broken Social Scene
Broken Social Scene
Broken Social Scene is a Canadian indie rock band, a musical collective including as few as six and as many as nineteen members, formed in 1999 by Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning. Most of its members currently play in various other groups and solo projects, mainly based around the city of Toronto...
, Smog
Smog
Smog is a type of air pollution; the word "smog" is a portmanteau of smoke and fog. Modern smog is a type of air pollution derived from vehicular emission from internal combustion engines and industrial fumes that react in the atmosphere with sunlight to form secondary pollutants that also combine...
, Minus the Bear
Minus the Bear
Minus the Bear is an American indie rock band from Seattle, Washington. Founded in 2001, the group features current and former members of Botch, Kill Sadie, and Sharks Keep Moving...
, and Pinback
Pinback
Pinback is an indie rock band from San Diego, California, currently signed to Temporary Residence Ltd. The band was formed in 1998 by singers, songwriters and multi-instrumentalists Armistead Burwell Smith IV and Rob Crow. Tom Zinser, Chris Prescott, and Mario Rubalcaba have all contributed drums...
. Soon after, the band began to record their debut album, We Should Have Never Lived Like We Were Skyscrapers
We Should Have Never Lived Like We Were Skyscrapers
We Should Have Never Lived Like We Were Skyscrapers is the debut album of the indie pop band Chin Up Chin Up. The album, released October 13, 2004, is notable in that before its completion, bassist Chris Saathoff was killed in hit and run accident....
, with John Congleton
John Congleton
John Congleton John Congleton John Congleton (born April 5, 1977 in Lubbock, Texas, United States, is best known as a Grammy-nominated producer/engineer/mixer who made a name for himself in the alternative rock underground via production of his own band, The Paper Chase, and for many other artists...
. Late at night on February 14, 2004, Chris Saathoff was killed in a hit and run
Hit and run (vehicular)
Hit-and-run is the act of causing a traffic accident , and failing to stop and identify oneself afterwards...
accident as he was leaving a Ponys show at a local bar, the Empty Bottle, with his girlfriend. After their benefit shows in honor of their friend, Chin Up Chin Up regrouped to finish recording their album, We Should Have Never Lived Like We Were Skyscrapers, in which some of the bass lines Chris Saathoff had previously recorded while composing the album were used where possible. The album was released in 2004 on Flameshovel Records
Flameshovel Records
Flameshovel Records is a record label from Chicago, Illinois formed in the summer of 2000. Founded by Jesse Woghin and long time friend Nash Grey, the duo were later joined by James Kenler...
. Chin Up Chin Up released This Harness Can't Ride Anything
This Harness Can't Ride Anything
This Harness Can't Ride Anything is the second album by Chicago indie pop band Chin Up Chin Up, released October 10, 2006 on Suicide Squeeze Records.- Track listing :# "This Harness Can't Ride Anything" – 4:43# "Water Planes in Snow" – 3:47...
on October 10, 2006. They released it on Suicide Squeeze
Suicide squeeze
Suicide squeeze may refer to:* Squeeze play , a play in baseball in which the runner on third starts for home immediately while the batter attempts a bunt.* Suicide Squeeze Records, a record label....
, a Seattle-based indie rock record label.
During most of 2007 Chin Up Chin Up promoted their new album This Harness Can't Ride Anything by performing many shows. Also for the first time they set foot outside North America to tour through Europe. Late 2007, after their last tour through the west of the USA, they decided that they needed a break. In 2008 Chin Up Chin Up kept very quiet, feeding rumours they had broken up. But in June 2008 they denied this. On their official site it was stated that the five of them "have just taken some time off to work on other things in their lives".
However, nine months later, in March 2009 lead singer Jeremy Bolen announced on the band's myspace page that Chin Up Chin Up had indeed broken up. Bolen: "So I am writing this to announce that chin up chin up will be playing our final show, at the empty bottle in chicago on may 15th. I think I can speak for all of us when I say that we really had intentions to keep making music together for an infinite amount of time, but just as this band began in a natural way it is naturally coming to an end. Thank you to the hundreds of people who have helped us along the way, we have been truly lucky, and as cliché as it may sound, we could not have done any of this without you. Much love- Jeremy".
Bolen, Burg, and Sharp went on to play in Vacations, and Dye plays drums in Speck Mountain and The Sweeps.
Discography
- Chin Up Chin UpChin Up Chin Up (album)Chin Up Chin Up is an album by Chin Up Chin Up and was released in 2005.-Track listing:# Collide The Tide [4:17]# Fuck You, Elton John [3:32]# For All The Tanning Salons In Texas [4:02] # The Soccer Mom Gets Her Fix [3:29]...
– (May 15, 2002; Re-released w/ Bonus Tracks July 26, 2005) - We Should Have Never Lived Like We Were SkyscrapersWe Should Have Never Lived Like We Were SkyscrapersWe Should Have Never Lived Like We Were Skyscrapers is the debut album of the indie pop band Chin Up Chin Up. The album, released October 13, 2004, is notable in that before its completion, bassist Chris Saathoff was killed in hit and run accident....
– (October 13, 2004) - This Harness Can't Ride AnythingThis Harness Can't Ride AnythingThis Harness Can't Ride Anything is the second album by Chicago indie pop band Chin Up Chin Up, released October 10, 2006 on Suicide Squeeze Records.- Track listing :# "This Harness Can't Ride Anything" – 4:43# "Water Planes in Snow" – 3:47...
– (October 10, 2006)