California Wives are having an Affair with Chicago

No sunshine state here—the quartet is from the Midwest but they're no Wilco

By Megan Martin
Published: September 27th, 2010 | 12:00am

Loud. Technical. Logical. Passionate. This is how the California Wives have described the individual members of their own band: Joe O'Connor (drums), Hans Michel (guitar, keys), Dan Zima (vocals, bass, guitar), and Jayson Kramer (vocals, keys, guitar), respectively. It is fitting as an overall assessment of their sound, as well. The Chicago based four-piece has just released their five-song EP Affair, and the buzz is already building.

With a mix of influences from post punk to new wave, blended with the chilled-out vibe of California and the danceable, techno-pop sounds of modern-day Brooklyn, the California Wives (who are not from their namesake state) are changing the way Midwest music is perceived.

“People expect something when you say you're a Midwest band,” says frontman Kramer, “and I don’t know that we fit that expectation. People think of Wilco, alt-rock with a country influence or something, and we’re definitely not that. We just want to make music that we enjoy, music that we’re not thinking too hard about.”

Affair, which is the band’s first studio recorded release, is danceable, shoe-gazey, and poppy but a tinge dark. They site groups like New Order, the Stone Roses, and the Cure as strong influences. Their minimalist, polished sound comes from being well-trained in their craft and their instruments, but seasoned enough to know when to hold back on their individual talents. Despite the growing notoriety, the guys are taking it all in stride and hoping that all the work pays off.

“I think we’re all ready to do whatever we have to do,” says Zima. “We’re not really waiting for someone to swoop out of the sky to help us. I don’t think that’s a reasonable way to go about this right now. We’re excited about the attention we’re getting, and we’re hoping that it’ll take us somewhere.”

The group formed last year as a trio sans Kramer and played their first show in February. They later brought on Kramer to add an element of electronic sound that they felt was lacking. The combination is working, as blogs—mostly Chicago-based at this point—are plugging the California Wives as people to watch; and they’ve definitely carved out a niche in the town’s music scene. Recently, the group played the Wicker Park Festival with several other up-and-coming indie rock bands, including Gringo Star and Plants & Animals.

“The thing I like about Chicago is that we have a really good infrastructure of clubs,” says Zima. “There’s a lot of places to play; it doesn’t matter how famous you are.”

Adds Kramer, “People are really responsive at our shows. I’m not really sure if we just get lucky or maybe they lock the doors and the only people in the club are the ones that have been drinking all night," he laughs. "But the shows that I’ve been to and the ones we’ve put on ourselves have been really fun.”

As opposed to New York, where musicians often complain that the crowds are jaded, the California Wives relish in the idea of coming from Chicago and find the city's music scene a supportive and rewarding one.

“I’m happy to say that we’re from here,” says Kramer, “I look at the bands that came from here when I was a kid and the bands that are coming from here now, and it's only getting better."

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California Wives official site

California Wives MySpace page