LISTEN & LEARN
With their fifth studio album, Stay For The Ending, District 97 continue to blur the lines between prog and pop, and for that, they have their fans to thank. As drummer Jonathan Schang and vocalist Leslie Hunt reveal to Prog, much of the album’s inspiration came from listening to their fans and the seasoned musings of Bill Bruford to help make their latest their most memorable yet.
Words: Phil Weller Images: Milk Punch Photo
At their fans’ request: District 97.
It can feel a little clichéd when a band, returning with a new album, cite it as their best work yet. Yet, after a decade and a half of writing progressively angular but lofted, pop-iced compositions, Chicagoan quintet District 97 can’t be accused of such lazy marketing tactics with Stay For The Ending. From its glinted production to Leslie Hunt’s stunning vocals and the record’s deft balance between accessibility and adventure, their fifth album finds the band reaching lofty new levels. So, what has changed?
“We’ve been listening to some of the feedback that we’ve gotten thus far having been together for 15 years,” says Hunt. “Our fans have been excited for us to explore our less technical side more, and that’s resounding feedback. It allowed us to bring in some more melodic, maybe a little more straightahead ideas into the music.