(Final) Flares

(Final) Flares is the debut full-length by Committee(s). Conceived across three cities — Chicago, Chapel Hill, D.C. — Committee(s) is the brainchild of Chicago resident, Sean Husick (Milemarker, huSEQ, Static is a City)

Formed in 2015, the project’s roots go back to a years-gone post-show conversation between Husick and Ben Davis (Milemarker, Bats & Mice), in which Sean asked Ben if he might want to collaborate on a “goth” project together.

Husick took a stab at it, drafting a couple of tunes that betrayed a heavy debt to dark eyeliner-heavies like Samhain and Siouxsie Sioux. As songwriting progressed, the music’s influences began to turn toward atmospheric post-punk and shoegaze. Often, Husick used a bass guitar to form each track’s melodic foundation, freeing up room for guitars and synths to play a textural role while Davis added vocals.

After adding Ben’s fellow Sleepytime Trio and Bats & Mice bandmate Dave NeSmith (Maximillian Colby, Men’s Recovery Project, Rah Bras) to the mix, the trio had generated a record’s worth of songs and recruited friends from Chapel Hill to form a live version of the band, including guitarists Pete Wagner (Midnight Plus One, Challenger, Auxes), Rachel Hirsh (Bruxes, I was Totally Destroying It) and drummer John Crouch (Solar Halos, Horseback).

(Final) Flares includes 10 songs recorded over a number of sessions in Chapel Hill, D.C., and Chicago, produced/mixed/mastered by Husick.