House of Sugar (Domino) is the latest LP from Alexander Giannascoli, who is better known as (Sandy) Alex G. Complex, cohesive sonic textures make for a compelling yet comforting collection of songs. One becomes intimately entangled in the web of warped warmth. It's another must-have release from the prolific Philly songwriter. Union Transfer will be playing host to (Sandy) Alex G on Saturday, November 30, where he'll also be joined by Corey Flood and Tomberlin. (Photo by Tonje Thileson)

Chris Schackerman has drummed for such notable acts as Literature, Mercury Girls, and The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, but he “was never satisfied enough” with his own recorded demos to release them out into the world. For Chelsea Brennan, making music was never “really a large part” of her life. The two came together a few years back to create a project that was mostly just for fun; however, with their latest collaborative effort, Arch Of Love, it became apparent to the duo that they wanted making music to “become a larger part” of their daily lives. Schackerman and Brennan have already released a few singles via Richmond, VA’s 6131 Records, and are currently working on their first full-length album. You can take a listen to Arch Of Love’s new track, “Reintroduction,” and learn more about our most recent Featured Artist(s) Poll Winner below.

The Deli: How did you start making music? 

Chelsea Brennan: Making music on the level I do now is not something that was really a large part of my life before starting Arch of Love. A few years back, Chris and I also created a small project together, but I don't think we ever intended to pursue it the way we are with this project; it was really just two people sharing a common love for something and having the most fun with it as possible. This time around, I think the both of us found it incredibly hard to ignore that we really wanted to create something that could become a larger part of our day-to-day lives, and take on all of the other parts that come along with it that aren't just "fun". And truth be told, I don't know that I'd be doing this without him. I grew up playing piano and loved the feeling that creating brought me, but didn't feel like I had enough knowledge or tools to really pursue it the way I wanted to. Chris brings a lot of strengths to this that I'm learning throughout this endeavor, and it's very different when you have someone who not only collaborates with you, but also challenges you.

Chris Schackerman: My experience playing music in any real "band" setting has always been behind a drum kit. I always home recorded demos and wrote music on guitars and synthesizers, but almost everything went unreleased as I would always want to tweak every aspect of my music, and was never satisfied enough to put it out into the world. Arch of Love holds a lot of "firsts" for both Chelsea and I, as it's her first time really pursuing music in a serious way and it's the first time I've ever really been able to produce and release music I am truly content with.

TD: Where did the name Arch Of Love come from? 

Arch Of Love: The name "Arch Of Love" hardly holds any real "meaning". We came up with it when I was on tour with TPOBPAH driving through St. Louis and sending Chelsea pictures of the gateway arch. I don't quite remember how it specifically came about, but at some point, a text was sent (in jest) with the words "Arch of Love" and for some reason it just clicked. I don't think we let ourselves think about it too much as it just sort of fit what we were doing.

TD: What are your biggest musical influences?

CS: For this project specifically, when we were writing the singles, I think we were both on a similar wavelength with what we were listening to. Kate Bush, Cocteau Twins & Fleetwood Mac were all really big influences from the jump. What's cool about music is you can be influenced by so many different aspects of a song or band and recreate that inspiration into something original. I don't think anyone would necessarily say we're a band that really sounds like what we're directly "influenced" by. My favorite band of all time is Talking Heads, but you could just as easily catch me listening to Bjork, New Order, or Cleaners From Venus.

CB: As Chris said, some of our influences intertwined naturally in this project, which probably doesn't come as a surprise. However, two of the biggest influences of mine for about a decade now (who differ greatly in their style) have been Jonna Lee and Jeff Buckley. I discovered Jonna Lee's project Iamamiwhoami accidentally when searching for something specific on Youtube one day. Her electronic audio-visual project was like something I had never seen before at the time, and was very quickly sucked in. I had the privilege of seeing her perform live for the first time last year, and being immersed in it in person was an entirely new form of inspiration for me. The first song I ever heard by Jeff Buckley was "All Flowers In Time Bend Towards The Sun," which was an unfinished track he did with Elizabeth Fraser some time before he passed. It's one of the most beautiful pieces of music I've ever heard, and it led me to his album Grace. Jeff's way of writing music instrumentally and vocally so freely is something that sticks with me. Both artists I still very actively listen to, and their music continues to provoke heavy feelings.

TD: What artists (local, national and/or international) are you currently listening to?

CS: Anything coming out on Dais Records right now, specifically SRSQ, Choir Boy, & Drab Majesty. Some of my more contemporary, most-listened-to artists are Bernardino Femminielli, U.S. Girls, Soho Rezanejad, and Tamaryn. As far as locals go, Crozet and Lovelorn are the best!

CB: I'll echo what Chris said regarding the Dais bands. Boy Harsher is also a favorite, and adding Panther Modern to the list as I can listen to the 2020 Los Angeles EP multiple times in a row. Those are some that really stick out for what I've been listening to primarily. Special shout-out to Limousine, we played with them on a recent run with Lovelorn in Manchester, NH and Boston, and they're really creative with their live set and just kind people in general!

TD: What's the first concert that you ever attended and first album that you ever bought?

CB: The first concert I ever went to was one my mom surprised me with. Ironically enough...it was David Bowie, and Busta Rhymes (???) opening at the Tweeter Center in Camden NJ. I thought my memory was failing me when I first thought about this experience, but I looked it up...it really happened. 

CS: My brother really shaped my musical taste when I was growing up. I remember going to a free Yeah Yeah Yeahs show at Penns Landing with him when I was probably 12 or 13 and then a Weezer concert around the same age. The first album I got was probably something like Blink 182 or Limp Bizkit or some Now That's What I Call Music CD.

TD: What do you love about Philly?

AoL: We've always said that Philly is one of the best places to be a band. The city is vibrant with art and music, rent can still be found cheap, and you're also only 2-3 hours from NYC, DC and Baltimore. We both grew up here, and I don't think we'd ever live anywhere else. Also the food (duh).

TD: What do you hate about Philly?

AOL: Parking. Always.

TD: What are your plans for the rest of 2019?

AoL: We're playing with Lust For Youth at PhilaMOCA on October 19th! They're one of our favorites so we're super excited. Other than that, we're currently writing new music for our first LP, working on some new merch designs, a new music video, and booking more shows.

TD: What was your most memorable live show?

AOL: We played with Choir Boy a few months back, which was an incredible show. We were just excited to open up for a band we genuinely enjoy so much. A few weeks ago we also played in Wilmington DE at a place called Oddity Bar. We had absolutely no idea what to expect, but it turned into a truly amazing show with an equally rowdy and engaged audience. Those are always the best shows.

TD: What's your favorite thing to get at the deli?

AOL: Pickles. 

Krust Toons: "Billy Joel" by Tedd Hazard - please feel free to drop him a line at teddandthehazards@gmail.com if you dig or have any funny ideas. You can also check out more of his illustrations and animation shorts HERE.

A menacing psych/hard-rock heaviness engulfs on Parallel Hell, the latest LP from Northern Liberties. Spirited vocals and a relentless rhythm section create a consuming, contagious sound. It's been over a decade and a half that Renaissance man Justin Duerr has been releasing material via this creative outlet. Duerr continues to demonstrate how he's an unflinching, uncompromising musical force of nature in the Philly underground.