Office Preview

Office
Schubas, Chicago
Monday, May 1, 2006

Chicago’s Office, born in a London art school and transplanted by a Michigan native, are the inhabitants of Schubas’ “Practice Space” for May.

Q&A, which the band decided to release on their own, is an ultra-modern guitar pop album. Densely layered but still light on its toes, touches of electro bounce through “Busy With Other Things” and the title track, while “If You Don’t Know By Now” and “Wound Up” take Midwestern power pop to the salon. It’s oddly reminiscent of Assassins, the Chicago band who signed a major-label deal in 2003 but have since been unable to deliver their debut album. Incidentally, Office find themselves at a similar crossroads. A&R men have come a knockin’, and their May residency at Schubas and slot at Lollapalooza will grant them even more visibility for interested parties.

“We’re in that stage,” founder/frontman Scott Masson says. “We’re sifting through the different labels that are interested in us; there’s been interest overseas, as well: Britain, various independent labels over there, so we’re going to be traveling there in June for showcases. Right now, we’re in a great position because the labels are going to start making us offers and we’ll be able to choose the one that best fits us.” Masson has already begun writing Office’s next album, making the chances of a one-and-done re-release of Q&A an unlikely fate.

“Knowing I trust all the people in the project now, I think we’re probably just going to end up doing it together, build it up together,” he says. “Obviously the goal is that none of us will have a day job and be able to sit around in a studio and develop these ideas over a couple months. But I definitely don’t want to spend as long of a time making the next record. I want it to be more of a spontaneous piece of work. Less pop perfection and more energy. More rawness left in.”

Office play the first four Mondays in May at Schubas with openers Crap Engine and Freer on the 1st; Star and Those Transatlantics on the 8th; The Fake Fictions on the 15th; and My Were They and Crush Kill Destroy on the 22nd.

— Steve Forstneger

Category: Stage Buzz, Weekly