Personnel: Pat LoSasso, lead vocals and guitar; Sean Mulroney, bass; Greg Suran, lead guitar; Dan Leali, drums.
Background: Stonebillies is a reincarnation of the group Tic Tah, which was founded by LoSasso and Mulroney about 5 1/2 years ago. Suran and Leali were Tic Tah members for a while, dropped out to play with other bands
(including Soul Vitaminz) and eventually returned.
New attitude: The name Stonebillies (”Dan came up with it. It just sounded good to us,” says LoSasso) and a completely new sound were adopted three months ago. ”Musically, we`re a very different band now, and we wanted to start over with a clean slate,” says LoSasso. ”Tic Tah was a progressive techno-pop band using a lot of synthesizers. As Stonebillies, we`ve gone back to the basics. Our new music is more aggressive and guitar-oriented.”
Influences: David Bowie, Grand Funk Railroad, Deep Purple, Commodores.
Songwriting: LoSasso is the band`s main songwriter.
Onstage cover versions: ”We try to avoid doing cover material, but if the situation calls for it, we`ll occasionally perform an oldie by Led Zeppelin or Wild Cherry`s `Play That Funky Music White Boy,` ” says LoSasso. Recordings: The band has a four-song demo tape that is being shopped to record labels. ”We`ll be working on a CD sometime this year,” says LoSasso. Local viewpoint: ”With local groups like Material Issue making waves, this area seems to be attracting some attention, but we still need to gain more respect on a national level,” says LoSasso. ”It seems like the last Chicago band to make it really big outside of Chicago was Styx.” On the other hand, the band appreciates the wide variety of local venues presenting live music.
The big picture: Mulroney recently returned from meetings with record company representatives in New York and has checked out the competition on both coasts. ”I`ve seen plenty of bad bands in L.A. and New York,” he says. ”There is certainly just as much, if not more, untapped talent here in Chicago as in those cities, yet when I talk to outsiders about the Chicago scene, not many people are very familiar with what`s going on here.”
Goals: ”Our long-term goal is to get a record deal,” says LoSasso. ”An immediate priority is continuing to write good material.”
Next appearances: Saturday at the China Club.
