Name of band:
The Chicago LOUD9 (cLOUD9).
Where are you from?
Chicago, Illinois.
Who else is in your band?
Bryan Pray - vocalist
Don D. (Pro Blak) - emcee
Chad Wynes - guitars
Phil Fensel - bass
Marc Gee - synth
Jasen Brown - keys/hand percussion/backflips
Paulie Geidreitis - trumpet
Kenny Cichon - sax
Kyle Voivodas - drums
How would you describe yourselves?
Chicago Loud 9 is a group that blends veteran funk rockers, indie-reggae horn players, and MC Don D. cLOUD9 creates a unique blend of hip-hop, funk rock, alternative, and indie pop that translates into an infectious sound that bridges people from across all types of cultures. No matter what your tastes or influences, there’s something about this band that draws you in. This musical collective has a combined 15 years of pro gigging experience between us and we are extremely serious about our craft.
Who are your main influences musically?
Having nine people in a band means that you have a ridiculous number of influences coming together. Bryan and Chad were born and raised on early 90's grunge and alt funk. Don D lives for hip hop. Marc is an encyclopedia of 60's and 70's jam bands. Phil loves hard, Kyle and Jasen are big on indie rock. Our horn section (Paul and Kenny) have roots in reggae, jazz, and funk as well. All of us have a passion for independent music and we've all been deep in the local Chicago music scene. We champion artists who are trying new things, from folk rock to dub step.
What do you hope to achieve in music?
All of us share the same goal of wanting to spread our sound wide enough that people from across the planet can share our music. Our passion for music is what gets us through the hard work days and late practices. We want the chance to play music for the rest of our lives and will travel countless miles to do it. We're blessed to have passion, creativity, and amazing chemistry with nine of the coolest, most talented musicians in Chicago and we would like to take it as far as we can.
What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why?
Our record release party earlier was probably the height of our career thus far. We're about to release our first official music video and we're playing The Metro, one of the most legendary venues in Chicago. Ask us in six months and we'll probably have a whole new set of highlights!
And what’s the moment you want to forget?
It is funny now but at the time we had to start a show without Ken our saxophone player because he lost his sax (laughter). Luckily for us he was able to find it and we were able to rock out the rest of the night.
If you had to pick just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why?
Our first single, After Party, really embodies the spirit that brought us together. It sort of showcases our best talents and sets up the whole tone of what we're about: Forget your crazy, stressful lives for a few minutes and lose yourself in the moment. Be right here, right now, dancing your ass off and remember that life is short and you've gotta find time to enjoy it. With that said, our sound is evolving and we are really proud and excited for people to hear what our sound is becoming.
Where can we find out more about your music?
Website: www.chicagloud9.com
Full Album: www.chicagoloud9.
Facebook: www.facebook.com/chicagoloud9
Twitter: @chicagoloud9
Soundcloud: www.soundcloud.com/
Anything else you’d like to say about your band/music that I forgot to ask?
There are so many amazingly talented artists coming out of Chicago and this band is a really good example of what can happen when they work together. We brought all of these talented musicians together to rock the doors off of House of Blues and it turned out to be the best collaboration any of us had ever attempted. A lot of people are afraid to take risks or some people talk about being innovative at length. It's 100% more satisfying to be putting your best foot forward and be the one out there actually doing it.
I was at that show. It was fricking AWESOME!
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