Chicago based, Everyday Fantastic, recently released their newest and first single in over 2 years, 'Runaway'. Formed at college, the band went on to graduate and relocate, essentially quitting music and took corporate jobs. Fast forward to 2021, they regrouped back in Chicago.
We had the chance to speak with them on the release and more as part of our Introducing series..
How did you meet and when did you start making music together? "We all met during our freshman year at Indiana University in 2015. We started making music under a different name; however, it was in a much more acoustic folk genre. In 2016, we formed as Everyday Fantastic. We enjoyed our years in college playing shows at all of Bloomington’s incredible venues. Our senior year we even had the opportunity to open for the Mowgli’s at Indiana’s memorial union. After graduating we all went our separate ways; however, in 2021, everyone made the move to Chicago to pursue this dream again."
Is there a reason or story behind the band name?
"When we originally formed we came up with a name that we thought was amazing. In actuality it was terrible! Eventually we came to our senses and decided to choose a new one. We all came up with ideas and ranked our favorites. No one could agree on a favorite, but Everyday Fantastic was everyone’s second choice. We gave it a shot and it stuck! I think that the name captures our vibe as a group of friends very well. Our music isn’t all sunshine, but when we’re all together fantastic things are bound to happen."
Where are you from and what’s your favourite thing about it? Do you feel as though your surroundings have inspired your sound in any way? "Christopher (lead singer) and Jerry (bassist) grew up in the Chicago suburbs. Ryan (drummer) grew up outside of Indianapolis. Mitchell (lead guitarist) grew up in Columbus, Ohio. We all love our hometowns, but our college town Bloomington, Indiana (the greatest college town) probably inspired our sound the most. We wanted every show to feel like the best party anyone had ever been too. Our music and especially live performances are very energetic as we engage crowds and have a great time. "
Who are your biggest inspirations, musically? "We all have different taste in music, but our tastes all collide when it comes to bands like Catfish and the Bottlemen, the Killers and the Band CAMINO."
Who would be your dream artist to collaborate with? "We haven’t thought too much about artists we’d like to collaborate with. We’re big fans of the super talented musician and producer Jack Antonoff and would love to work with him!"
You’ve just released your new single ‘Runaway’! How has the reaction been so far?
"We’ve gotten a ton of positive feedback from everyone who’s listened to the track. We played it live for the first time at our sold out show at Schubas Tavern in Chicago. It was our first show back together, so we were very excited. Some of our original fans have told us that it’s our best work yet. We’re excited to keep on writing music and improving!" Tell us a little about the track! "We tracked with Grey Taxon at Gravity Studios in Chicago, mixed with Nashville based Josh Bonanno and mastered with Nashville based Sam Moses. A big inspiration for the track was 'Daphne Blue' by the Band CAMINO. We loved the way the guitars just rip the mix. We started writing the song together remotely in 2020. We wanted to get vulnerable. We wanted to capture the feeling of being stuck, wanting desperately to move forward to a better place, but ultimately feeling as though you’re wasting your time or that you’re undeserving of it."
What’s coming next for you guys? "We have a number of things in the works. We’re working with venues to schedule more shows. We have plenty of new music in store, so we’re planning our return to the studio. Also, we’re getting the word about 'Runaway' out to anyone who will listen! If you like the track, please consider adding it to a playlist or sharing with your friends!"
'Runaway' is out now. Listen HERE @everydayfantasticband
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