Band of the Week: Crooks and Children

Crooks and Children formed in 2006 and over the last three years they have released two eps and they just released their full-length debut, Night Is a Good Child. Will Bulka, Greg Hayes, Ben Huey, David Polsky and Justin Scheck are all multi-instrumentalist and while on stage often switch places. With each member taking an equal part in the creative process is a valuable aspect of their songs and performances. It's that balance that allows the band to overcome the normal struggles of a band, and even a few added challenges that they may face.

Recently, Justin Scheck was kind enough to talk about the new album and the challenge that he faces every day.

Orange Alert (OA): Tell me a little about your new collection of songs, Night Is A Good Child.
Justin J. Scheck (JS): Well, first off its important to note that that we all wrote songs for the album, all laid down our fare share of tracks, so I can really only tell you 20% of the story. But the albums genesis comes from M. Scott Pecks interpretation of the creation story. Long story short, a non-literalists reading of the story, Peck argues, is human’s evolution into consciousness. One day a monkey thought, and that was the exit from "Eden", the leaving behind of that warm fuzzy oneness with the rest of nature and the world.

We tracked it blindly in our coach house in Humboldt Park on a 16-track recorder. Blindly meaning a skeleton of a song was introduced and the rest of us would flesh it out, laying down tracks, most without rehearsal, layering it until it felt finished.

OA: So why did the band decide to make the album available for free download and are there physical copies available?
JS: We made it available for download because we believe the music should be free for anyone who wants to hear it. Even when you're giving it away, it's a select group of art lovers that will seek it out. Those are the people who are most dear to us. That’s not to say we don't take donations. It'll be on I-tunes soon, and it's already available on Amazon. We believe people will send some money our way if they can, and that's a very important distinction. I mean, I download music for free. We all do from time to time. But music is so dear to us that there becomes a sanctity issue. We make music because we have to. It’s in our DNA. It's a marriage in a lot of ways. You have to remain sincere or it will leave you. It doesn't seem right to DEMAND money. I mean we're all poor, that’s for sure. But we believe in what we're doing, and want people to be able to enjoy it. There is a hard copy, but we give those away too. We have a mailing list, and everyone who's on it gets a copy of our latest project in the mail for free. We asked some local artists, some wonderful artists, to submit a piece of work if the album inspired them. We sent their work out with the discs, and they were all willing to do it for free. Art keeps the soul alive and in check, and most artists I think just want and need to create. The money may come, but it really doesn't change anything. At least that’s the goal anyway.

OA: I really like all of the different covers you have displayed on the site, who were some of the artists involved? Where they all by Nicole Brewer? Do you feel one cover "fits better" or describes the music better? They are all quite different from one another.
JS: Well our “in house” artist is Ben Marcus. He’s satisfied most of our art based needs as far as album art and posters are concerned. But this time we wanted to collaborate with strangers really. We eventually gravitated more towards Nicole Brewers image. It's the first one. I think it's because she created the piece after hearing the album. It just seemed to fit. But I love all the art. Marc Arturi's piece entitled The Jesus, Mary, and Joseph Peppers is amazing to me. It was a happy accident that came out of late night hunger. The fact that he saw Jesus Mary and Joseph in pepper slices is fascinating to me. In more ways than one. He is a phenomenal artist. All of them are. Layan Fuleihan's parrot is beautiful, and she's only 19. Aaron Millers Reluctant Regent, that’s the elephant, says so much to me that i just won't say anything. Kieran McGonnell's butterfly piece entitled The Song Of The Wandering Aengus is based on a Yeats poem, again the spreading of art. Art breeds Art, and that's what we were after. Amber Bookenberger's photo seems to me to be very sexual without being sexual if that makes any sense. I think that is hard to pull off, and is a credit to her artisanship. Tiny Chaos, the severed head, strikes the right tone, and was done by McMurran-Soskel. They all speak to me from different corners of the album, but the album has many corners. That’s why we decided to showcase them all. And we are grateful to them all.

OA: It may be a slanted opinion, but Chicago really seems to be exploding with quality art, lit and music. Do you feel Chicago is a good place to record and perform? Are there opportunities for young bands in the city?
JS: Everywhere I’ve been, art is exploding. It's just a matter of what circles you travel in. Then again, i may be biased as well. I've lived in the Midwest all my life, and have always been blessed to meet the right people. To catch wind of the new. I think anywhere is a great place to be because of the times. I mean can you imagine the bands in Iraq right now. The need to express and vent and not escape, but address the issues and culture shift what it means that something evolved into a strawberry. The chaos. Plus people's ears and eyes are opening. This is the age of Aquarius, whatever that means. I can't imagine living anywhere else, but art helps me see what its like to live anywhere.

OA: Do your disorders ever affect your creative process (or the way you play and interact), and how do you and the band deal with that?
JS: Well, that's a big question. The truth is that when you slip, it doesn't show up on your radar, so you'd have to ask them. I mean, I’m often ashamed of things I’ve said and done, but we love each other. We forgive each other. For instance, I was improperly medicated for the first couple of weeks that we were recording Night Is A Good Child. I was both manic and psychotic. I was sure that I was a messenger from God, but I didn't let on that that was the case. Part of the deal that accompanies psychosis is paranoia. For me anyway. So I had already made a deal with God that i wouldn't let any one else know Our plan. It seems silly now, but truth be told, the album wouldn't have ended up starting at all I think, if if hadn't been delusional. But I’m at home behind an instrument. It's the only love that doesn't leave me. In fact, it becomes more important due to my tendencies. So I always remain functional as far as art is concerned. The sound of the album is the sound of 5 crazy people communicating by manipulating sound waves. It's just that I’m the only one it's gotten away from in my opinion. I should be careful here. I don't use the word crazy lightly. But we're all off enough to communicate. I've learned to trust them, and can keep that in the back most part of my brain when I trust no one.

OA: What's next for Crooks and Children?
JS: Well we're always working. Right now, Polski and Hayes are directing so to speak our next full length project, yet untitled. And we’re working on another EP entitled Haggard. Huey is working on an album for us using broken drumbeats, loops etc., and is working on his own album under the moniker Manplane. And Bulka has another soundtrack in the works, a 7 hour documentary on horses. He’s also been gathering artists and musicians to collaborate off/on oneanothers work. The musician's give the artist an original piece of music and the artist then makes a piece to compliment it. The artist gives the musician an original piece of art and the musician makes their piece to accompany it. It will open at a gallery and headsets will be set up at each station. Huey and I are about to go into the studio with our friend Jim Johnson to record with one of our other bands, The Cordeliers. And I’m working on an album entitled The Host under my moniker Upright Ape. Crooks and Children have some free shows coming up starting in July, and we're always working on the next thing. Whatever the next thing may be…

For more information on Crooks and Children please visit their website.