The Key Studio Sessions: Archawah

Chances are, you already know Chris Archibald as the leader of the long-running Bucks County indie rock outfit Illinois. He’s a busy songwriter, so much so that one Illinois release (2009’s The Adventures of Kid Catastrophe) was broken up into a year’s worth of digital EP releases. Typically, the band takes several years between albums, and while he loves working with his longtime friends, Chris was in need of another outlet.

Enter Archawah, his solo project that debuted last year with the brilliant and serene single “Supermoon,” and subsequently released the 1 EP in January. As he told our Julie Miller at the time, the EP is the first of six we’ll hear from him this year. “Archawah is not going to wait around for anyone,” he said. “I’ll release my music when it is ready in my ears.”

This week, we got a taste of the live Archawah experience with Chris playing acoustic guitar in the studio, surrounded by lamps and tables, backed by projections, accompanied by keyboard loops. You can see it in action below with a video of “Supermoon,” and hear it in the three-song set you can stream below or download here. We hear the beat-oriented, textured approach on “Life in Motion,” one of the best pop songs Archibald has ever written, as well as his more contemplative acoustic side on “Follow the Sound” and “Sing to Me.”

For a filled-out Archawah experience, mark your calendars for April 23rd at Bourbon and Branch, where Archawah makes its full-band live debut.  Tickets and more information on the show can be found here.