ALTON – Alton favorite, Hope & Therapy, will be celebrating 10 years of being a band this Friday at the backroom of Bottle and Barrel.
Get The Latest News!
Don't miss our top stories and need-to-know news everyday in your inbox.
The band was started when Drew Mader and Dan Deck volunteered their talents to be backup musicians for Hope Mader's songs she had written over several years, Drew Mader said in an email. He said the two heard her music and encouraged her to share it with the general public. Over the years, Drew Mader on drums, Deck on bass and Hope Mader playing keys, writing songs and singing them was the formula. All three of those members will take the stage Friday at Bottle and Barrel as well as Jared Unfried, who played guitar on several tracks, Christo Bachmann from the band, The Fade, on saxophone (Jim Stevens played in recorded music, but has retired from playing live) and Bottle and Barrel Entertainment Director Justin Level will play bass on a single track – as he replaced Deck for some time while he was out with a back injury.
When the group originally formed, Chez Marilyn had expanded into the kitchen and dining room area, and Drew Mader hosted open mic nights there to seek another musical outlet. It was there Hope & Therapy was born.
“It took about two of those before we're like, 'OK! What's our name gonna be?! Where else can we play?!” he said in an email. “Early on, I think we were often compared to Cat Power, but I'm not sure we were directly influenced by her. We were just doing a similar type of thing – powerful female singer/songwriter with the production flavor of Sam Cooke and other Motown/throwback/retro type stuff. But also, Hope and are huge Radiohead fans, so we always sorta strive for a moody minor key vibe with unexpected vocal melodies and syncopated rhythms.”
He said he did not use traditional wooden drum sticks for the first years of the band, instead using brushes. He said that landed the act in the “jazz-rock” realm, but he insisted they were indie/punk/riff rock kids at heart.
Currently, Drew and Hope Mader are married with two kids living the family life in Alton and Deck has recovered from his back injury and is often found living it up with a large genuine smile on his face. When asked what the horrors and wonders of the golden years of adulthood has done for their music, Hope Mader said it's helped evolve the sound.
“I think the sound of the band has evolved a ton,” she said. “We've come from that kind of mellow, jazz-tinged indie singer/songwriter vibe all the way into super buzzy distorted bass and swirly synth and vintage electric piano sounds. So, while it still has a lot of subtlety and nuance like the earlier stuff, the more recent material has a much heavier presence than the music we made 10 years ago.”
She said a range of all of their music will be played Friday night. She said some have not been played live in seven years or longer. She also said there is potential for hidden tracks and songs never placed on any album. For people who are just discovering their sound, Hope Mader said there will be something for everyone, highlighting again the cadre of guest musicians taking the stage with them.
Joing them on stage that night will be The Fade, who have been admired by Hope & Therapy for years. Drew Mader said Friday's show will be the first time the two acts will play together live. He also said to keep eyes peeled for a member of Alton's legendary band, Judge Nothing.
This show is also the only one planned in the near future. With those wonders of adulting mentioned above, the Maders said practice time is hard to come by.
“Basically we don't [find time to practice with modern life]. “With everything happening in our personal lives, there will likely be a much-needed break for Hope & Therapy after this show,” Drew Mader said. “I've been joking that it's our 'farewell tour,' but we don't play out all that often anyway, so it probably won't seem much different from an outsider's perspective.”
“It seems all of our practices in recent years are in preparation for some big show,” Hope Mader added. “We currently have nothing on the books after Black Friday, and I'm really looking forward to that. I'd like to spend my winter hibernating and reflecting, exploring new sounds and writing when time allows with no pressure to rehearse for an upcoming show. Then again, these last few rehearsals with our guests have been pretty rejuvenating, and I'd like to find some time to hang out with other musicians – without expectations – and just play.”
The show has been deemed “pay what you can,” Drew Mader said. He said the band understands how money can be tight around the holidays and said money will be used to offset the cost of the sound tech and other expenses.
Hope & Therapy will take the stage at 8 p.m. with two sets and The Fade will take the stage at 10 p.m. and close out the evening. Sources close to the story added that there may be some pie.
More like this:
