For three years, Luke Mueller performed as a solo act in local pubs.
About a year ago, he decided to be more than a one-man acoustic band playing a few original songs, but mostly covers.
“I started writing music five or six years ago with the intention of putting together a band,” said Mueller, 27. “A band is a much better way of representing my songs.”
Mueller posted ads on Web sites and connected with guitarist Chris Dungerson, 24.
“Chris was the first guy I met with and talked to and that was it,” Mueller said.
New Colossus was born.
Over the next few years, keyboardist Sam Leewood, 22, drummer John Williamson, 33, and bassist Daniel Gajda, 24, made the band a five-piece. Williamson and Gajda auditioned after seeing ads on the Internet.
“It was pretty new for me to see how the dynamic of a band works,” Mueller said. “Sometimes it can be difficult. I pretty much write all the songs and have a vision of how it’s supposed to sound, and I try to get the songs to where I always want them to be. When you have a band, you have a lot of creative ideas — a lot of times those ideas surpass my expectations because of [my band mates’] talents.”
New Colossus will release its debut EP, “A Picturesque Escape,” on June 22 with a CD release show at Wise Fools Pub, 2270 N. Lincoln Ave.
Listen to “The Perfect Song” from the band’s debut at redeyechicago.com/chitunes.
