Quantcast

The DNAinfo archives brought to you by WNYC.
Read the press release here.

South Side Rock Band American Grizzly Headed To Nashville for Debut Album

By Howard Ludwig | September 3, 2015 5:32am
American Grizzly
View Full Caption
DNAinfo/Supplied Video

BEVERLY — American Grizzly is proof that Brother Rice, Marist, St. Rita and even Evergreen Park high school grads can coexist.

The five-man rock band is headed to Nashville to record its debut album after a successful Kickstarter campaign. American Grizzly met its $7,000 goal at noon on Wednesday - six days ahead of schedule.

"For the most part, it was friends and family" that got behind the Kickstarter campaign, said Marty Funk, 25, of suburban Evergreen Park.

Funk, the band's bass player, also credited the successful fundraiser to a show performed on Saturday night at the Beverly Arts Center. The band heavily promoted its plans to make an album at the show, and he believes the crowd responded.

"What's cool on the South Side is you get such good support," said Funk, a product of Evergreen Park High School.

Howard Ludwig explains how the South Side band formed:

The Kickstarter funds will be used to record 10 new songs as well as a few of American Grizzly's hits at The Bomb Shelter Studio — the same studio that has produced Alabama Shakes, Benjamin Booker, The Ettes and more.

The online fundraising campaign will continue as scheduled through midnight Sept. 8. Any additional money will be used to enhance the new album, perhaps by funding more recordings, investing in album art or paying for a vinyl version of the album, Funk said.

American Grizzly has enjoyed some success on a local level already, playing such iconic Chicago venues as the Metro, Double Door, Subterranean and others.

The group's demo tracks were all produced courtesy of Matt Ladd, 27, of Beverly. Ladd, the lead vocalist, attended St. Rita in Ashburn and later University of St. Francis in Joliet. He relied on the university's recording studio to get the ball rolling.

The demo tracks have proven popular, even landing American Grizzly airtime on WXRT's Local Anesthetic program. Radio host Richard Milne compared the Chicago group to The Band, which Funk and other bandmates considered a hearty compliment.

"We never really knew how to categorize ourselves because all of our songs are different," Funk said.

Funk and Dennis Wilson, 25, of Evergreen Park provide the foundation of the band that formed about 1½ years ago. Wilson is the rhythm guitarist and also a graduate of St. Rita.

The childhood pals attended Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo with Jack Doyle, 29, of Oak Lawn. Doyle attended Brother Rice in Mount Greenwood. He also plays lead guitar and sings.

Back on the Southwest Side, the group added Ladd and Chris Daum, 29, of Evergreen Park. Daum attended Marist in Mount Greenwood and is a drummer.

American Grizzly will record its upcoming album in analog, which will help the group achieve a sought-after vintage sound, Funk said. And to entice donations, members of the band have offered several incentives to those willing to fund the Kickstarter campaign.

For a pledge of $100 or more, the band will play five-on-five basketball with the donor. For $150, a band member will cook dinner for two for a donor somewhere in the Chicago area. And for $1,000 or more, American Grizzly will perform a private concert.

The incentives remain available as long as the Kickstarter campaign is active, even after they met the fundraising goal.

Funk said the group's name was inspired by artwork in an album by My Morning Jacket. This "trippy" bear seemed to resonate with the group.

Some time later, they learned the band's name was strikingly similar to a fetish magazine for gay men. However, American Grizzly learned of this parallel too late and was already having success so they opted to stay with the name.

"If you Google our name the wrong way, that's gonna pop up sooner or later," Funk said.

For more neighborhood news, listen to DNAinfo Radio here: