LAKEVIEW — The explosion of rockers Twin Peaks— a North Side band whose members are under 21 yet have produced two albums and an international tour — has given Chicago's young bands a group to look up to.
Garage rock is back, and the young bands of Chicago are trying to ride the wave of their not-so-older peers who graduated in 2012.
"In terms of rock music it has definitely moved away from the overtly acoustic and bass music," said Sam McCarthy, leader singer for Purple Door. "Now it's back to the basics."
Twin Peaks, whose members got together as high schoolers, are a critical and commercial success with their new album "Wild Onion."
Purple Door, a group consisting of four high school juniors, see the success of Twin Peaks as something to strive for as they launched their third EP last week and headlined their biggest show yet at Martyrs'.
The four members of Purple Door, all juniors at Chicago high schools, came together in seventh grade and have been a band every since.
Like clockwork, they have been meeting every Friday in the basement of one of their parents' homes to practice.
McCarthy and guitarist Jacob Baskes go to Walter Payton College Prep, bassist Jacob Gold went to Lincoln Park High School before transferring to Jones College prep this year and drummer Ben Bellick attends Latin School of Chicago.
Twin Peaks, who played at Riot Fest in 2013 and Pitchfork this year, have similar roots, as three of the band members attend Jones before graduating in 2012.
The band talked to DNAinfo about their success and Chicago roots earlier this year.
"There's definitely a group of kids who are 3, 4, 5 years older than us who are in their late teens or early 20s that are definitely an influence on kids our age," Gold said.
The Lemons, Twin Peaks and The Boxers came to mind.
"Everyone is obsessed with Twin Peaks," McCarthy said. "I think a lot of people try to get that sound.”
There are about five or six garage bands through the Chicago Public Schools high schools who regularly play together, hang out after shows and have built up a new scene.
Purple Door played their first legit show at Reggies Rock Club when they were just freshmen.
Before that, under the original name of Dino Muphin, the band "were playing sweet gigs like Bar Mitzvahs," Gold said.
Since then the band has played a handful of shows at Martyrs', Beat Kitchen and the Hideout.
They headline Martyrs' Saturday night after three opening acts, all consisting of Chicago high school rockers: The Aunteaks, Jonny S--- and Green Cosmic Circus.
The group is also releasing their first EP on Spotify and iTunes this weekend.
The EP, which was unnamed at the time of publication, draws on influences such as Weezer, Wilco and the Pixies as well as McCarthy's dreams, trains, sleeping and Chicago's buildings.
"Some of our favorite things," McCarthy said.
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