Owen (band)
Encyclopedia
Owen is a solo project of Mike Kinsella
, and part of the Chicago indie
scene.
Kinsella is one of the dominant and influential figures in the Chicago indie scene, having also led the band American Football
, and played in the bands Cap'n Jazz
, Joan of Arc
and Owls
(all with his brother Tim
).
Owen is known for its soft melodies, complex acoustics, combining lead acoustics with keyboard and other guitars, plaintive vocals and on occasions adding drums. It can be seen as a natural progression for Kinsella, from the progressive and experimental severity of Joan of Arc via the more melodic-progressive American Football
.
. Up to that point, having been associated with a number of bands, Mike sought a project where he could have complete creative control over all aspects including songwriting, recording, album artwork, and overall artistic direction.
When it came time to record his solo album, Mike approached Polyvinyl
with the idea to take the money that normally would be spent on a recording studio and instead spend it on software so he could record the album on his own. He ended up heading to his mother's house in Chicago and turned his old bedroom into a recording studio. Wishing to avoid the connotations associated with solo singer-songwriters, Mike began recording under the pseudonym, 'Owen.'
was a stark departure from previous Mike Kinsella projects. There no longer existed a need to play odd time signatures just for the sake of being different or writing parts that were technically challenging purely for the sake of being technically challenging. What remained was an artist finding his way through his home studio for the first time while recording all instrumentation on his own.
For 2002's No Good For No One Now
, Owen's second album, a similar arrangement of purchasing recording equipment instead of studio time was agreed upon. This time the money went towards the purchase of microphones. No Good For No One Now was more realized than the first album owing in part to the experience of self-recording Owen. The most notable distinction between the two albums was Mike's increased use of lyrical, literary devices: each song told a story.
In 2004, in collaboration with Cale Parks (of Aloha
), Bob Hoffnar, Jen Tabor, and Paul Koob, Mike began recording again. What resulted was (the ep)
. The joint effort marked a turning point of sorts for Owen. Rumors began to swirl that a live band would be taken on the road for the first time but these rumors never materialized as Mike again rejoined Joan of Arc
and became a touring member of both Maritime and Aloha.
(the ep)
had been written as a companion piece to a scheduled full-length. In summer 2004, Mike again began recording and collaborating, this time with cousin Nate Kinsella (Make Believe, Joan of Arc) who lent assistance both on instrumentation and engineering. The results of these efforts were I do perceive
., Owen's third album.
On At Home With Owen
, Mike figuratively leaves the at-home bedroom that has characterized so much of Owen's past musical output. His step away from bedroom recording allowed for an alternative approach to the songs recorded on At Home With Owen. "I've always hated how two dimensional the other Owen albums have sounded, and I think this one's finally got a third dimension," Kinsella says. The new approach to recording involved a fraction of pre-recording at Mike's mom's house, followed by sessions at Semaphore Studios with cousin Nate Kinsella
(Joan of Arc
, Make Believe
and finally at Engine Studios with Brian Deck (Iron & Wine
, Red Red Meat
). This newfound transient approach to recording allows the music of Owen to reach a new depth; one that sways between organic overtures and fervent, lush ballads.
In July 2009, Polyvinyl Records released The Seaside EP
, a collection of Owen songs previously only available as Japanese bonus tracks, as well as a track from the Association of Utopian Hologram Swallowers".
Since the release of his last album in 2006, much has changed for Kinsella. During the writing process for the fifth album, New Leaves
, Kinsella became both a husband and a father, adding a sense of responsibility and new direction to the personalized quality of Owen releases. As the title would suggest, New Leaves finds Kinsella building upon and branching off of the core elements of his efforts - clever lyrics over intricate guitar work - now aided by a more complex song structure and refined lyrical matter. Produced by Brian Deck (Iron & Wine
, Margot & the Nuclear So and So's), Graeme Gibson (Califone
, Joan of Ark
, Tim Iseler (Wilco
, Teenage Fanclub
) and cousin Nate Kinsella
, New Leaves is 10 tracks of renewal and personal growth.
In 2010 Owen released Abandoned Bridges Single. He has also released an EP titled O, Evelyn in April of 2011.
Owen's new album, Ghost Town, was released on November 8th 2011.
Mike Kinsella
Mike Kinsella is one of three musicians in his family involved in many Illinois-based bands . He was first recognized in the music scene in Cap'n Jazz formed by his brother Tim in 1989 while at the age of 12...
, and part of the Chicago indie
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
scene.
Kinsella is one of the dominant and influential figures in the Chicago indie scene, having also led the band American Football
American Football (band)
American Football was an indie rock band from Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, active from 1997 to 2000. The band was formed by guitarist/bassist and singer Mike Kinsella and drummer Steve Lamos American Football was an indie rock band from Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, active from 1997 to 2000. The band...
, and played in the bands Cap'n Jazz
Cap'n Jazz
Cap'n Jazz was an emo band formed in Chicago in 1989 by brothers Tim and Mike Kinsella, who were joined by Sam Zurick and Victor Villareal. After a number of name changes and the addition of guitarist Davey von Bohlen the band began to earn a cult following in the Chicago area and the...
, Joan of Arc
Joan 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 Owls
Owls (band)
Owls was an emo indie rock band from Chicago, Illinois, from 2001-2002. The band was formed by the original lineup of seminal experimental emo indie band Cap'n Jazz soon after its second breakup ; Cap'n Jazz guitarist Davey von Bohlen, who played in the band's second incarnation, had gone on to...
(all with his brother Tim
Tim Kinsella
Tim Kinsella is a musician from Chicago, Illinois. He has been a part of many bands including Cap'n Jazz, The Sky Corvair, Joan of Arc, Owls, Friend/Enemy, Everyoned, and Make Believe...
).
Owen is known for its soft melodies, complex acoustics, combining lead acoustics with keyboard and other guitars, plaintive vocals and on occasions adding drums. It can be seen as a natural progression for Kinsella, from the progressive and experimental severity of Joan of Arc via the more melodic-progressive American Football
American Football (band)
American Football was an indie rock band from Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, active from 1997 to 2000. The band was formed by guitarist/bassist and singer Mike Kinsella and drummer Steve Lamos American Football was an indie rock band from Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, active from 1997 to 2000. The band...
.
Origin
The impetus for Owen was a direct result of the demise of American FootballAmerican Football (band)
American Football was an indie rock band from Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, active from 1997 to 2000. The band was formed by guitarist/bassist and singer Mike Kinsella and drummer Steve Lamos American Football was an indie rock band from Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, active from 1997 to 2000. The band...
. Up to that point, having been associated with a number of bands, Mike sought a project where he could have complete creative control over all aspects including songwriting, recording, album artwork, and overall artistic direction.
When it came time to record his solo album, Mike approached Polyvinyl
Polyvinyl Record Co.
Polyvinyl Record Co. is an American independent record label based in Champaign, Illinois. It has released notable records by of Montreal, Japandroids, Braid, Mates of State and many others.-History:...
with the idea to take the money that normally would be spent on a recording studio and instead spend it on software so he could record the album on his own. He ended up heading to his mother's house in Chicago and turned his old bedroom into a recording studio. Wishing to avoid the connotations associated with solo singer-songwriters, Mike began recording under the pseudonym, 'Owen.'
Career
Owen's debut, OwenOwen (album)
Owen is the eponymous full length debut album by the band Owen. It was released on September 18, 2001.-Track listing:# "That Which Wasn't Said" – 2:11# "Most Days And" – 5:01# "Most Nights" – 2:14# "Accidentally" – 6:18...
was a stark departure from previous Mike Kinsella projects. There no longer existed a need to play odd time signatures just for the sake of being different or writing parts that were technically challenging purely for the sake of being technically challenging. What remained was an artist finding his way through his home studio for the first time while recording all instrumentation on his own.
For 2002's No Good For No One Now
No Good for No One Now
No Good for No One Now is the second studio album by Owen released on November 19, 2002.-Track listing:# "Nobody's Nothing" – 5:20# "Everyone Feels Like You" – 7:01# "Poor Souls" – 5:30# "The Ghost of What Should've Been" – 5:08# "Good Deeds" – 3:25...
, Owen's second album, a similar arrangement of purchasing recording equipment instead of studio time was agreed upon. This time the money went towards the purchase of microphones. No Good For No One Now was more realized than the first album owing in part to the experience of self-recording Owen. The most notable distinction between the two albums was Mike's increased use of lyrical, literary devices: each song told a story.
In 2004, in collaboration with Cale Parks (of Aloha
Aloha (band)
Aloha is an american indie rock band currently signed to Polyvinyl Records. The four members of Aloha are scattered across the eastern half of the country, but spend most of their time making music together. Some Echoes is the second Aloha album since T.J...
), Bob Hoffnar, Jen Tabor, and Paul Koob, Mike began recording again. What resulted was (the ep)
(the ep)
is a 5-song EP, which is the third release by Mike Kinsella under the name Owen. It was released on May 4, 2004 on Polyvinyl Records.-Track listing:-Guest musicians:*Cale Parks on vibraphone*Bob Hoffnar on pedal steel...
. The joint effort marked a turning point of sorts for Owen. Rumors began to swirl that a live band would be taken on the road for the first time but these rumors never materialized as Mike again rejoined Joan of Arc
Joan 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 became a touring member of both Maritime and Aloha.
(the ep)
(the ep)
is a 5-song EP, which is the third release by Mike Kinsella under the name Owen. It was released on May 4, 2004 on Polyvinyl Records.-Track listing:-Guest musicians:*Cale Parks on vibraphone*Bob Hoffnar on pedal steel...
had been written as a companion piece to a scheduled full-length. In summer 2004, Mike again began recording and collaborating, this time with cousin Nate Kinsella (Make Believe, Joan of Arc) who lent assistance both on instrumentation and engineering. The results of these efforts were I do perceive
I Do Perceive
I Do Perceive is the fourth album by the Chicago artist Mike Kinsella under the name Owen. It was released on November 9, 2004 on Polyvinyl Records.-Track listing:#"Who Found Whose Hair In Whose Bed" – 4:39#"Note To Self:" – 6:15...
., Owen's third album.
On At Home With Owen
At Home with Owen
At Home With Owen is the fourth full-length studio album by Chicago artist Mike Kinsella under the name Owen. It was released on November 7, 2006, on Polyvinyl Records.-Track listing:#"Bad News" – 6:30 #"The Sad Waltzes of Pietro Crespi" – 3:13...
, Mike figuratively leaves the at-home bedroom that has characterized so much of Owen's past musical output. His step away from bedroom recording allowed for an alternative approach to the songs recorded on At Home With Owen. "I've always hated how two dimensional the other Owen albums have sounded, and I think this one's finally got a third dimension," Kinsella says. The new approach to recording involved a fraction of pre-recording at Mike's mom's house, followed by sessions at Semaphore Studios with cousin Nate Kinsella
Nate Kinsella
Nate Kinsella , is an American musician who currently resides in Urbana, Illinois. Nate's musical resume is vast, including most notably projects such as Joan of Arc, Make Believe, Mata Hari and Decembers Architects. Nate assisted Mike Kinsella, his cousin, in the creation of Owen's I Do...
(Joan of Arc
Joan of Arc
Saint Joan of Arc, nicknamed "The Maid of Orléans" , is a national heroine of France and a Roman Catholic saint. A peasant girl born in eastern France who claimed divine guidance, she led the French army to several important victories during the Hundred Years' War, which paved the way for the...
, 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...
and finally at Engine Studios with Brian Deck (Iron & Wine
Iron & Wine
Samuel Beam , better known by his stage and recording name Iron & Wine, is an American singer-songwriter. He has released four studio albums, several EPs and singles, as well as a few download-only releases, which include a live album...
, Red Red Meat
Red Red Meat
Red Red Meat was a '90s Chicago-area blues-influenced alternative rock band. After their break-up, frontman Tim Rutili went on to form Califone, for which many of Red Red Meat's former members, including producer Brian Deck, often record and perform...
). This newfound transient approach to recording allows the music of Owen to reach a new depth; one that sways between organic overtures and fervent, lush ballads.
In July 2009, Polyvinyl Records released The Seaside EP
The Seaside EP
The Seaside EP is a rarities release by Chicago artist Owen. It was released on July 7, 2009 by Polyvinyl Records digitally and as a CD . The album was said to ship on June 26, 2009, but was sent out a week earlier as Polyvinyl received them. The EP's cover art was designed by UK illustrator David...
, a collection of Owen songs previously only available as Japanese bonus tracks, as well as a track from the Association of Utopian Hologram Swallowers".
Since the release of his last album in 2006, much has changed for Kinsella. During the writing process for the fifth album, New Leaves
New Leaves
New Leaves is the fifth full-length studio album by Chicago artist Mike Kinsella under the name Owen. It was released on September 22, 2009 on Polyvinyl Records.-Track listing:#"New Leaves" - 4:12#"Good Friends, Bad Habits" - 3:54...
, Kinsella became both a husband and a father, adding a sense of responsibility and new direction to the personalized quality of Owen releases. As the title would suggest, New Leaves finds Kinsella building upon and branching off of the core elements of his efforts - clever lyrics over intricate guitar work - now aided by a more complex song structure and refined lyrical matter. Produced by Brian Deck (Iron & Wine
Iron & Wine
Samuel Beam , better known by his stage and recording name Iron & Wine, is an American singer-songwriter. He has released four studio albums, several EPs and singles, as well as a few download-only releases, which include a live album...
, Margot & the Nuclear So and So's), Graeme Gibson (Califone
Califone
Califone is an experimental rock band from Chicago. The band is named after Califone International, an audio equipment manufacturer. Their work has been critically acclaimed....
, Joan of Ark
Joan 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....
, Tim Iseler (Wilco
Wilco
Wilco is an American alternative rock band based in Chicago, Illinois. The band was formed in 1994 by the remaining members of alternative country group Uncle Tupelo following singer Jay Farrar's departure. Wilco's lineup has changed frequently, with only singer Jeff Tweedy and bassist John...
, Teenage Fanclub
Teenage Fanclub
Teenage Fanclub are an alternative rock band from Bellshill, Scotland. The band is composed of Norman Blake , Raymond McGinley , Gerard Love and Francis MacDonald , with songwriting duties shared equally among Blake, McGinley and Love...
) and cousin Nate Kinsella
Nate Kinsella
Nate Kinsella , is an American musician who currently resides in Urbana, Illinois. Nate's musical resume is vast, including most notably projects such as Joan of Arc, Make Believe, Mata Hari and Decembers Architects. Nate assisted Mike Kinsella, his cousin, in the creation of Owen's I Do...
, New Leaves is 10 tracks of renewal and personal growth.
In 2010 Owen released Abandoned Bridges Single. He has also released an EP titled O, Evelyn in April of 2011.
Owen's new album, Ghost Town, was released on November 8th 2011.
Studio Albums
- OwenOwen (album)Owen is the eponymous full length debut album by the band Owen. It was released on September 18, 2001.-Track listing:# "That Which Wasn't Said" – 2:11# "Most Days And" – 5:01# "Most Nights" – 2:14# "Accidentally" – 6:18...
(September 18, 20012001 in musicSee also:* 2001 in music Record labels established in 2001-Events:*January 1**Comeback of Guns N' Roses in House of Blues**Hum disbands.*January 17 – Bass player Jason Newsted leaves Metallica after 14 years with the band....
) - No Good for No One NowNo Good for No One NowNo Good for No One Now is the second studio album by Owen released on November 19, 2002.-Track listing:# "Nobody's Nothing" – 5:20# "Everyone Feels Like You" – 7:01# "Poor Souls" – 5:30# "The Ghost of What Should've Been" – 5:08# "Good Deeds" – 3:25...
(November 19, 20022002 in musicThis is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 2002.-Events:*February 3 – U2 perform during the halftime show for Super Bowl XXXVI...
) - I Do PerceiveI Do PerceiveI Do Perceive is the fourth album by the Chicago artist Mike Kinsella under the name Owen. It was released on November 9, 2004 on Polyvinyl Records.-Track listing:#"Who Found Whose Hair In Whose Bed" – 4:39#"Note To Self:" – 6:15...
(November 9, 20042004 in musicSee also:* 2004 in music Record labels established in 2004-January:*January 1**The Vienna New Year's Concert is conducted by Riccardo Muti.**Kurt Nilsen wins World Idol....
) - At Home with OwenAt Home with OwenAt Home With Owen is the fourth full-length studio album by Chicago artist Mike Kinsella under the name Owen. It was released on November 7, 2006, on Polyvinyl Records.-Track listing:#"Bad News" – 6:30 #"The Sad Waltzes of Pietro Crespi" – 3:13...
(November 7, 20062006 in musicThis is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 2006.-January:*January 10 – Eric Burdon releases his album Soul of a Man and begins touring with a new band....
) - New LeavesNew LeavesNew Leaves is the fifth full-length studio album by Chicago artist Mike Kinsella under the name Owen. It was released on September 22, 2009 on Polyvinyl Records.-Track listing:#"New Leaves" - 4:12#"Good Friends, Bad Habits" - 3:54...
(September 22, 2009) - Ghost Town (November 8, 2011)
EPs, Split EPs & Compilations
- The Rutabega/Owen Split EPThe Rutabega/Owen Split EPThe Rutabega/Owen Split EP is a split album between Owen and The Rutabega. It was originally released on Backroads Records. After falling out of print, it was re-released on June 8, 2004 on Polyvinyl Records. The Owen song "Never Meant" was originally performed by Mike Kinsella's former band...
(2004) - (the ep)(the ep)is a 5-song EP, which is the third release by Mike Kinsella under the name Owen. It was released on May 4, 2004 on Polyvinyl Records.-Track listing:-Guest musicians:*Cale Parks on vibraphone*Bob Hoffnar on pedal steel...
(2004) - Owen/The City on Film Split 7" (2007)
- The Seaside EPThe Seaside EPThe Seaside EP is a rarities release by Chicago artist Owen. It was released on July 7, 2009 by Polyvinyl Records digitally and as a CD . The album was said to ship on June 26, 2009, but was sent out a week earlier as Polyvinyl received them. The EP's cover art was designed by UK illustrator David...
(2009) - Abandoned Bridges Single (2010)
- O, Evelyn (2011)