Chord

Chord was formed at Dr. Wax, a once-thriving Evanston, IL, record store that was a gathering place for musicians and music aficionados alike. Amid endless musings about the finer points of texture, tone, and Jimmy Eat World's rousing single "The Middle," Kyle Benjamin (guitarist for Chicago's Unfortunaut), Jason Hoffman (a.k.a. darkwave composer Anatole), Trevor de Brauw (of Chicago instrumentalists Pelican) and Phil Dole (of ueber-dronists X-Bax) devised an outline for Chord that lived for many months in the realm of conversation. With a shared appreciation for the works of Tony Conrad and Glen Branca, the group formulated a collective vision: exploit and explore the sonic depth of a single chord. 
 
Chord first performed in February of 2004 at Evanston's Nevin's Live, stunning a sold-out crowd who had gathered on a combination of word-of-mouth and appreciation for the other folk-rock acts on the bill. A few select shows followed, including coveted opening slots for Jakob, Savage Republic, Growing, and The Austerity Program, as well as a headlining appearance in Brooklyn at a benefit for The American Red Cross. Flora is the band's debut release.