Two Bands Making Headway in the Quad Cities

By: Clare Possin

The Quad Cities has some amazing bands that perform all original music. Leather Parachute is a local band from Illinois City, Illinois. They have been together for approximately three years. Their original music and unique sound draw a crowd generally interested in punk-rock tunes. The lead singer, Zac Price, writes all original lyrics and his at-times gritty timbre is charming. The band consists of Price, who is on lead vocals and rhythm guitar. Next, there’s Chris Winkel, who plays lead guitar. Luke Smith plays bass and Jeff Carl is on drums. Started by front man Price and drummer Carl, the band changed members slightly until the current players found each other and landed on their perfect blend of sound. They have toured around the Midwest, but generally play at local venues in the greater Quad Cities area, such as the Raccoon Motel in Davenport and the Missipi Brewing Company in Muscatine. They have recently added Rozz-Tox, a popular experimental café and bar in Rock Island, to their list of venues. Price finds inspiration in everyday life and transforms it into lyrics that have an ambiguous air, which allows audience members to interpret however they feel in the moment. Winkel, in regard to his guitar playing, says that he “tries to create a lush soundscape with various effects and modulations to provide a counterpoint to Price’s guitar.” The band relies heavily on finding distinctive equipment that aids their sound, morphing it into exactly how it sounds in their minds. They practice once a week in Price’s garage, generally with low lighting that resembles the night of their performance. Smith comes up with driving bass lines that compliment Carl’s intricate drumming patterns. One can tell that the group is very tight and get along very well in order to keep the energy up during shows. Price’s stage banter is endearing and comical. Their EP can be found here: https://leatherparachute.bandcamp.com/releases. They sell merchandise at all of their shows.

Another local band—which incidentally includes two of the same members as Leather Parachute—formed in the middle of 2018, and they call themselves The Textures. Zac Price is also the front man of The Textures, and Chris Winkel plays bass for this band. This band is Price’s brainchild. He wanted to write more pop-influenced music that is suitable for a wider range of listeners, with less punk-rock sensibilities like Leather Parachute tends to play. Their groovy sound makes it impossible for show-goers to stand still. You’ll find yourself swaying to the sweet sounds of Price’s songwriting. Ben Kays started off on keyboards, but switched to lead guitar when they met Alex “Buggy Benson” DeLeon and Logan “Frog” Farber. Buggy replaced the original drummer, and Frog stepped into the keyboard role, which pushed Kays into guitar. Kays also assists on vocals with Price, who again plays rhythm guitar for The Textures. Price’s music for The Textures has extensive influences, such as Dave Matthews Band, Talking Heads, Grateful Dead, Bahamas, and even one song with a reggae sound. His wife and his father are among the topics for many of his lyrics for this group. The Textures have played at Gabe’s in Iowa City and Raccoon Motel twice each. They also have merchandise being sold at every show.

I encourage everyone to keep an eye out on Facebook for local music events to keep artists’ spirits and creativity alive. All of these spaces are great to hang out, have a drink, and meet new people. Everyone is always very inviting and kind. I know that these bands, and others like them, are extremely appreciative of anyone who makes it out to their shows to support them. Sometimes the shows are even free! So, please consider hitting that “like” button on their Facebook pages and heading out to a show once in a while. There’s nothing quite like the sound of live music, and I hope this piece has been illuminating on the passion and creativity that goes into every song.