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Chicago Musician Records Vinyl Album — Half In The City, Half Across World

By Linze Rice | June 21, 2016 6:11am
 Mike Pecucci, lead singer and guitarist for Chicago band Letterbomb (and solo artist), met up with friends he'd made in online chat rooms over the years and recorded songs together for his new project.
Mike Pecucci, lead singer and guitarist for Chicago band Letterbomb (and solo artist), met up with friends he'd made in online chat rooms over the years and recorded songs together for his new project.
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DNAinfo/Linze Rice

ROGERS PARK — Growing up listening to music, Rogers Park musician Mike Pecucci always wanted to travel the world to record an album on vinyl — and this year he did.

While one side of the album was recorded in one day with his band at Ukrainian Village's Strobe Recording, the other side would showcase Pecucci and his solo music across the pond to London, Birmingham, Manchester in England and Glasgow in Scotland.

There, he collaborated on six songs with other friends and musicians — friends he met in online chat rooms in the mid-2000s.

"It sounds chiché, but it really is a dream come true," Pecucci said. "It's doable."

Along with his brother and friend, Pecucci sings and plays guitar in the long-time Chicago band Letterbomb, who named their side of the album "Down With The Ship." Pecucci's side is called "Anglophile."

The project started about a year ago when Pecucci flew to London to meet with some friends and fellow musicians he'd struck up a friendship with about a decade ago.

After taking a day in studio to record with Letterbomb in April 2015, Pecucci said he spent 12 days in June 2015 traveling by Uber and otherwise around Europe, primarily London and Scotland. 

Soon after returning, the album got a final mix and was sent off to be pressed — a process that took seven months because of the resurgence of vinyl.

Pecucci said he was happy to see the new interest in vinyl records again, but acknowledged after many pressing businesses shut down a few decades ago, the few remaining have had a huge demand, and subsequently long wait times.

Overall, the process was worth the wait, he said.

Pecucci said he was also astonished by the generosity and spirit of the do-it-yourself music community there, which helped make the project possible. In total, Pecucci said he paid about $1,500 to record the album, including traveling.

Donations took care of studio time, graphic designs for the album, places to stay, food, support, beer and, most important, the chance to live out a personal and professional dream.

What's more, he got free history lessons on the local cultures and communities from his friends overseas, he said, something he tries to emulate when they have visited Chicago.

For now, Pecucci said he'll continue to be inspired by English bands and music, like The Beatles, and hopes to one day repeat a similar recording process — maybe swapped the next time.

He is also playing from 1-2 p.m. Tuesday at the Lincoln Park Zoo's Park Place Cafe, 2001 N. Clark St., for the Make Music Chicago Festival.

Though he's been with Letterbomb and making music since the 1990s, Pecucci said one of the biggest things playing music all these years has taught him was to have faith in himself, his music and his bandmates.

"The best part about the Chicago thing is that it's nice that we can still do it," Pecucci said. "We can go into a studio, go one day and get it all together, and have a good time, and it came out well."

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