Lead singer Wesley Cook lifts up on his toes as his voice rises above the crowd gathered at his feet. His hair hangs loose in his face as he strums an emphatic rhythm on the guitar.
Bass player Ryan Boyce is dressed like a modern Buddy Holly. He makes faces at the front row as they bob their heads in appreciation. Furniture and music equipment scatters the edges of the room.
The Bloomington-based band celebrated the release of its debut album “Garden View” with a performance May 19 at the Blockhouse in Bloomington. It was supported by locally popular dream-pop band Spissy, whose own debut album was just released in March. Fans of all ages gathered in the small, underground space to enjoy an evening of music the band describes as lo-fi sunshine rock.
The venue had about 40 attendees, which allowed the bands to interact on a more personal level with the crowd.
The two bands showcased their new material at the freshly renovated Blockhouse venue, which also functions as a recording studio and a multimedia production house,
“(The Blockhouse) is definitely a good environment,” Cook said. “And Spissy was awesome to play with.”
Although a majority of the members have known each other for years — a few even since kindergarten — Hales Corner and “Garden View” didn’t officially start taking shape until about eight months ago. The group started working on the album last summer, armed only with a MacBook and different audio interfaces. They recorded most of the tracks from the house Cook shares with drummer Ben Craig.
“It was a very D.I.Y. project for sure,” guitarist Caleb Adams said.
Most of the album’s lyrics come from Cook, who described the album’s theme the feeling of “post-college apathy.”
“I was feeling kind of stuck,” Cook said. “Almost like fighting stagnation. It was that feeling of ‘wow, I’m doing all these things and it’s not getting me anywhere.’”
Cook’s lyrics combine with the group’s proficient musicality, which helps the band’s music stand apart while still staying relatable, Adams said.
“All of his lyrics came out really beautiful,” Adams said. “I think it’s a great way to summarize that feeling that might be hard to put a finger on.”
It wasn’t long before the band’s wistfully melancholic sound caught the ear of Darling Records of Bloomington, who released the album to the public May 17.
This upcoming summer, the group plans to take the album on tour. It’s hoping to travel along the east coast and play shows throughout July.
Cook said even though the band’s fresh off the release of its debut, it already has its eyes set on the next Hales Corner release.
“This feels awesome, but I’m ready to record another one,” Cook said. “I want to hit it hard and record through the fall and the winter. Optimistically I’d like (the next one) to come out next spring.”
