Since 2004, Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin, an indie rock band branched out of Springfield, Mo., has played at Mojo’s somewhere around 15 times. For each show, the band attempts to enrich its fan base while providing its unique Wilco-meets-Two Door Cinema Club style at full force.
“We love Mojo’s,” lead guitarist Will Knauer says. “The energy it captures is so distinct and fantastic. The small size, when it’s full of kids, makes the show so exciting and creates such a great atmosphere.”
This desired atmosphere returns for the band Oct. 10, as it is stopping by Mojo’s during its first tour since its latest release, _Fly By Wire_. The album, recorded in the attic of Knauer’s parent’s house — a primary location of band business since SSLYBY recorded its debut album, _Broom_, there — is a concoction of soothing pop melodies and passion-filled piano ballads that bring the band to its familiar and fun-loving overarching sound.
Labeled with an interesting “‘Final Destination’-like progression” by Knauer, each song complements each other’s parallel summer-ending, frolicking through the forest vibe that _Fly By Wire_ has.
“I’m really influenced by the ‘Final Destination’ movie series,” Knauer says. “I think the album is like that because it just kind of developed on its own, almost like it just crept up on me. All the songs were recorded in order like the events in the movie, as if there was nothing you could do to stop it.”
Encompassing a very relaxed rock feel, _Fly By Wire_ leaves listeners with a sound both relatively adoring and easy-going — not astronomically complex, not generically bland. Just good.
“It kind of turned into our dream album,” Knauer says. “But I don’t know exactly what to attribute it to. It’s still a bit of a mystery where it came from.”
With a discography that includes six full-length LPs and numerous singles and compilations, SSLYBY has always been incorporating its Springfield origins into its music, producing a range of diverse material between the base of synth-heavy fun pop songs, pop-punk cries of rebellion or even their gentle acoustic-based ballads.
“I actually didn’t start playing music until I moved to Missouri,” Knauer says. “But the relaxing feel for where I was definitely brought something I truly loved out. Something like playing the guitar outside at night deep in the country helped translate into writing songs that sound nice.”
The Missouri natives have been fortunate enough to regenerate experiencing the rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle offers, by continuing on with touring the world and writing more material.
With an irreplaceably lackadaisical sound, SSLYBY will hopefully endure on, never leaving its home-style roots of late night guitar plucking and fun-loving songs.
