Kill Chicago have always had a rebellious streak, albeit a wholesome one. They’ve got a history of shaking down the status quo, and if blues rock ever had a punk ethos, Kill Chicago is what it would sound like. Their latest “anti-video” leans into that, along with their other videos from their album The Fix, with “You Don’t Like It” getting a DIY treatment.
At the heart of “You Don’t Like It,” however, is the band addressing their own insecurities; questioning the abilities and even success. After all, it’s easier to be anti-establishment and thumb your nose at it than it is to admit you might care.
Welcome to our TED Talk on unpacking your emotional crutches from the brutally sarcastic early ’90s.
“The song is about feeling like an impostor, something every musician deals with on a regular basis,” says Greg Webber, Kill Chicago’s frontman. “I have dreams where people finally tell me to stop playing and I say, ‘See! I told you they were all lying just to be nice.'”
“This sort of ‘anti-video’ idea is kinda part of our humour,” explains Dillon Anthony, the band’s multi-talented multi-instrumentalist who did most of the filming himself (aside from the shots he’s in).
“The thought was to make another DIY video that shows the other side of the band. We love to create, especially with a few built in parameters or challenges. [Matt] Bowie came up with the concept for ‘You Don’t Like It’. We’re always brainstorming while together, and highly value the time we get to be creative.”
Creative and completed on a budget. “Two Drinks Behind” cost the band all of $10 which was spent on a pack of sparklers, while “Show Me” consisted of a lyric video compiled entirely through band’s group text message.
“You Don’t Like It” manifested itself during a three hour drive between Fredericton and a show in Miramichi, NB. Anthony says he managed to tuck in a few more Easter eggs of note: including his school, Bruce the Moose, and his mom’s house in Doaktown.
While the band go easy on the video’s production budget, they really commit to a big sound. “You Don’t Like It” goes for the layered Eddie Harsch/Chris Robinson-esque harmonies of vocals over swelling organ and guitar. Despite Webber’s questions of attaining success, the song might be the best indicator that they’re ready for bigger stages.
Tour Dates:
03.14.20 – Fredericton, NB @ The Capital Complex*
03.21.20 – Saint John, NB @ The Public House**
*with LYLM and Graeme Kenendy
**with Jamie Comeau & The Crooked Teeth and Marian