Creatures of Habit by the Damn Choir comes out on February 7th and they will celebrate in the traditional fashion: by touring. The kick off show in Chicago takes place at the Hideout that evening before they hit the road. The first video for the title track is out and features some pretty terrific footage of the band rocking in a really beautiful ruined church. See below!
The Damn Choir’s Gordon Robertson has a saying that encapsulates his worldview. Laughing, he shares it: “I have no problem with God but I don’t like his fan club.” Robertson grew up with a sincere fear of hell and damnation – he was home schooled in a fundamentalist household, the result of a brother who was cured of an inoperable brain tumor via faith healing.
Despite his growing skepticism as a young boy, his fear of eternal flames kept him compliant until high school, when he found music. “I disliked the music in our church because it seemed insincere. I wanted to write a proper hymn, about what really goes on.” Robertson’s quest resulted in 25 new songs, pared down to 13 for Creatures of Habit, out February 7th, 2013. Produced by Bryce Goggin (Antony and the Johnsons, Apples In Stereo, Swans, Dean & Britta), it was recorded live to tape at Trout Studio in Brooklyn during the fall of 2013. Mastered by Fred Kevorkian (Willie Nelson, The Walkmen, The White Stripes, Iggy Pop), the album features sparkling tunes with off-kilter rhythms and warm guitar/cello accompaniment to Robertson’s rough-hewn vocals, delivered with a slight quaver that belies his heartache.
Standout tracks include the title track, “Radiator” and “Violet,” named for the producer’s daughter. “'Radiator' is about a cold, lonely Chicago winter. The song is based on me telling the story of a broken relationship to my broken radiator. The song also touches on the Carl Sandburg's poem "Chicago" with a line I borrowed "The City of Big Shoulders," explained Robertson. “’Violet” was originally written as a punk rock song, as punk rock as The Damn Choir can get. We were demoing all tracks and sending them to Bryce. He heard the song and wanted us to change the lyrics and the melody. We changed to whole the feel of the song, thanks to our new drummer Marty Kane.”
The Damn Choir is Robertson on vocals and acoustic guitar, Katy Myers on cello, Otis “The Bearded Angel” Duffy on electric guitar, bassist Brandon Stein, keyboardist Gwen Klemenz, percussionist Jack McClain and drummer Marty Kane. Robertson formed the band in 2009, the year after moving to Chicago from Cleveland; after some early line-up changes, The Damn Choir has solidified into a cohesive unit whose players harbor genuine affection for each other.
Acoustic Nation is written by Laura B. Whitmore, a music industry marketing veteran, music journalist and editor, who has contributed to Parade.com, Guitar World, and others. She has interviewed hundreds of musicians and hosts the She Rocks Podcast. As the founder of the Women’s International Music Network, she advocates for women in the music industry and produces the annual She Rocks Awards. She is the Senior Vice President of Marketing for Positive Grid, making the world safe for guitar exploration everywhere! A guitarist and singer/songwriter, Laura is currently co-writing an album of pop songs that empower and energize girls.
