Aktar Aktar
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Aktar Aktar

Chicago, Illinois, United States | SELF

Chicago, Illinois, United States | SELF
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"Aktar Aktar Saves the Day"

Aktar Aktar Saves the Day
Written by KAREN LOONEY / Photos by DANIEL BARTEL
Thursday, 03 March 2011
When you are sleep-deprived, your back aches from a mosh pit mishap, and you are so hungry you can down a greasepile of nachos by yourself, it is difficult to stay present at a show. After sitting through a couple so-so bands, I was ready to head to the nearby taco place for a more stimulating experience. Fortunately, indie rock quartet Aktar Aktar's vivid bonfire melodies were able to ease my suffering. These fine young men are evidence of Chicago's dedication to artistry.
Aktar Aktar


Beat Kitchen
Chicago, IL
February 25, 2011



Inspired by a Question Mark Zero show he attended as a teenager, frontman Jake Swearson saw no choice but to pick up a guitar and get cracking. With the help of his roommate, his friend, and his Red Robin co-worker who was prone to air guitar outbursts, Aktar Aktar pushed onto the Chicago independent scene with vigor and grace. Their melodic rock, which draws inspiration from standard American classics such as Bob Dylan, The Beatles, and Led Zeppelin, transmutes happy folk stylings into electric guitar instrumentation, throbbing bass lines, and buoyant vocals.

Aktar Aktar headlined at the Beat Kitchen on February 25, 2011 and amidst Chicago's bedraggling winter flurries, they were a breath of crisp springtime air. Opening with their most renowned song “The Best Part,” the musical equivalent of a frolic through a field of daisies, the band immediately incited a dancefloor riot. Lovely as the song is, there was a vague sense of disequilibrium between instruments when they began. The rhythm had a galumphing feel and the guitar and drums wavered a bit before they matched tempos.

Fortunately, Bradley Haptas'steadfast bass rumble outshined the falter of the other instruments. It took a warm up for the band to find their chemistry but by the end of the song, the band had achieved homeostasis and was able to plunge forth into a more cohesive set.

Next the band moved into “Simply Just Because” with great chemistry, headed by a lovely vocal duet between Jacob Swearson and lead guitarist Timmy Maguire. Maguire's deeper, placid voice contrasted with Swearson's overpowering skyward lilt created a smooth juxtaposition. Maguire's uplifting guitar plucking drove the song forward into a freeing folk rock plane. An energetic delivery kept the crowd dancing. Haptas' punching bass beneath the floral pop guitar weightlessness gave the song just enough bite to keep listeners grounded. Percussionist Jake Hoefnagel's shirt came off by the end of the second song.

After the peace and love segment, the band switched things up with the tense “Ghost of a Man.” This song reached into a darker place, reflected by Swearson's suddenly restrained voice. The guitars switched from sunny major cord progressions into a more dubious sound. This tone variation in an otherwise sprightly set was a welcome addition.

The set continued with some brand new material, first with “Both Young and Wild” which heralded the return of the high-pitched vocals. Swearson and Maguire performed an echoing duet against Grant Park guitar rhythms and butterfly bounce percussion and bass. Though the band's movements on stage were a bit stiff with concentration, the music was freeing and recaptured a purity of heart missing from so much modern music.

On the next couple songs, Swearson traded his guitar for a keyboard. Fantastic as it must have been, the sound levels in the venue unfortunately drowned out its glory. If one strained, they could hear the keys just as Maguire's guitar took a breather but no more. Whether this was a result of a rushed sound check or technical issues is uncertain but Swearson played his heart out anyway and carried the momentum with his flowing voice. The silent keys continued into the next song, which took another turn for the dark with a heavier guitar riff that bordered on bluesy. Cords and vocals reverberated off the walls, creating a nearly psychedelic effect.

On the band's last song, Haptas climbed atop the bass drum and the set abruptly ended in fits of laughter when he lost balance and toppled onto Hoefnagel, who collapsed off his stool. Nobody could keep playing after that. But hey, unplanned fumbles always make performances end on a high note.

Aktar Aktar gave a very spirited performance. Aside from the initial waver on “The Best Part,” the band had remarkable harmony. There were no stuttered notes or lost beats. If there were, the band did a great job of disguising them. My main disappointment is that I did not get to fully experience the keyboard. Nevertheless, the show sounded great and left the audience with an afterglow of smiles and dancing feet. If you are looking to dip into local rock that is sunny and accessible without being saccharine, look no further than Aktar Aktar. And if you see them at the Beat Kitchen, remember: bad nachos are close - Luminomagazine


"Talking shop with Aktar Aktar's Jake Swearson"

Chicago musicians Aktar Aktar bring an element of quirkiness and melodic indie to the general formula of rock, making for a sound that begs to be heard live and moved to. A high-energy band with rolling bass lines, the right amount of yips and yelps in their vocals, and seriously rocking riffs, Aktar Aktar feels reminiscent of contemporary bands like Hot Hot Heat and Eagles of Death Metal, while still maintaining their own edge.

A somewhat well kept Chicago secret, the band has been getting out and about more in 2010, touring to New Orleans and back. “We played apartments, basements, venues, and one bordello. We opened shows, closed after parties, even interrupted a weekday mass and everywhere we played not only did we get positive feedback, but almost broke a couple places.” (Jacob Swearson)
The quartet has also been working on new music, finalizing a six-song demo since returning from tour. Curious new comers to the band and old fans alike can look forward to a packed summer schedule for Aktar Aktar, who will be working on their plan to “Take Over the Midwest”, playing Summerfest in Milwaukee and throughout the neighboring states. More immediately however, the boys will be headlining Lincoln Hall tomorrow, June 19th with Automata and Dastardly- Show at 10pm 18+ $8 adv/$10 at the door.

Aktar Aktar front-man Jacob Swearson answered some questions for us via email this past week, to talk about what inspires the band, his favorite locals, and what we can expect from the foursome in the coming year.


Reviewsic: What’s the back-story on how the band came to be what it is today?

Jacob Swearson: After the QMZ show in Wheaton I was hell bent on making something. I was living with Jake who is still our drummer and we started looking for other musicians to work with. After awhile it became clear that most people don’t have the balls to do it. Me and Jake went into his basement, wrote ten songs then started playing backyards and basements. We got a little following so we started playing venues in Chicago. We got a bigger following and decided our sound should grow with our crowd. I met Tim, our guitar player, at the restaurant I was working at. He sang in another band and played the guitar a little. I stole him. Then Brad, a good friend of ours, couldn’t stand to watch us anymore so he learned the bass and we recorded our first album. As the year went on our thirst for something we couldn’t quite describe grew. We started playing better and better venues to bigger and bigger crowds and still the thirst grew. We weren’t satisfied with the music we where playing or hearing.We knew we could still do better. Then the question started coming out of the four of us; “Does a band have to be stuck to a genre? Why does it seem like the only bands who are succeeding sound the same?” After that we’ve been obsessed with creating something “purely original” that can still last the test of time. True timelessness.

Reviewsic: If you could book a tour with any 3 bands, past or present, who would they be and why?

Jacob Swearson: The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and anything with Jack White so we could rob them of their magic after we got them all waisted.

Reviewsic: What are your top three musical influences?

Jacob Swearson: Booze, Freedom, and each other.

Reviewsic: Is there any instrument you don’t play, but wish you did?

Jacob Swearson: yes.

Reviewsic: What are the last three albums or bands you listened to?

Jacob Swearson: The Dead Weather, Fleet Foxes, Question Mark Zero.

Reviewsic: If you could work with one person in the music industry (musician, label, producer etc), who would it be and why?

Jacob Swearson: George Martin so we could rob him of his magic after we got him all wasted.

Reviewsic: What was the most memorable show you’ve ever attended?

Jacob Swearson: It was a Question Mark Zero show at the Wheaton Grand Theater. I was 18 and living on my own. I’d been wanting a band for a couple of years before then but that night it suddenly hit me; “I need to do this and only this”. It suddenly became the most important thing to me.

Reviewsic: Who are three of your favorite local bands?

Jacob Swearson: Catfish Slim, Professor Kliq, and The Glide.

Reviewsic: Tell us about the new music coming up- is there a particular concept behind it? What goes into your writing process?

Jacob Swearson: Freedom. We pay extreme close attention to music all throughout history, old and new, and use elements from all of them to fuel our work. The new EP is the beginning of this “free” philosophy that hopes to make something that we can call our own and be proud of. And hopefully make some money doing it as well.

Reviewsic: How would you compare yourselves as musicians at this point, opposed to when you first began playing together?

Jacob Swearson: None of us think our past songs are bad, just limited. We are still doing the same thing just more so now. We feel if we are not learning and g - Reviewsic


"Aktar Aktar on the Right Path"

Aktar Aktar is four young men from Chicago who are exploring the boundaries of danceable rock music. They first released a self-titled album which pushed them out of the dingy dive bars where they found their original following. With a core group of high energy fans they had the privilege to play some of the greatest venues Chicago has to offer. Touring all throughout the Midwest at a feverish pace, recently headlining Chicago's legendary Metro last November, Aktar Aktar now brings their unique sound and high-energy stage show to Reggie’s Rock Club this Friday night, January 28th as the band battles for a spot in SXSW. In the meantime, they are also working on their next EP with high hopes of grabbing the attention of a manager/booking agent that will push their careers into deeper waters.

Having recently enjoyed the band’s music for the first time, I contacted bassist, Bradley Haptas, to find out more about the band.



Aktar2Buzz - What genre of music do you consider your work to be? Who are your major influences?

Bradley - I would say indie rock, but it’s really hard to try to categorize the music with one name. Every one of our songs has a life of its own and sometimes that means moving outside one genre and into another. We all have our own “loves” when it comes to influences; I would say right now that Motown is quickly stealing my heart.



Buzz - What can fans take home with them from your live show?

Bradley - Hopefully they buy a CD! You can really see our personalities come through in our live performance so people will get to know us a little better. You might wake up sore from all the dancing that goes on at our shows. We just want everyone to have a good time. We really enjoy bringing people together.



Buzz - When did you form your band? What inspired you to make music together?

Bradley - Aktar Aktar started about 3 years ago as a 2 piece with Jake Swearson and Jake hoefnagel. They were playing a lot of house parties and smaller bars when they started getting larger and larger crowds every show. I remember Swearson saying he wanted to have a fuller sound, that’s when Tim and I joined. We recently we got a new drummer, Mr. Wes Kosakowski, after Jake H’s departure. We all had the same idea of what we wanted to do musically and the more we did together and the better we became as musicians it just felt right. Now there’s no turning back.



Buzz - Where have you performed? What are your favorite and least favorite venues? Do you have any upcoming shows?

Bradley - We have played all over in Chicago from the Metro to Elbo Room. We did Summerfest in Milwaukee last summer, which was one hell of a time. I don’t know if I have a favorite or least favorite venue. They are just buildings with stages inside to me, what makes the show is the people and magic that happens inside. We are playing at Reggies Rock Club on Jan 28th, it’s a battle of the bands to get into SXSW. After that all we have lined up is time in the studio and hopefully we will be heading to Austin in March.



Buzz - Who writes your songs? What are the main themes or topics for most of your songs? Do you think these topics will change over time?

Bradley - Jake and Wes have been building chord progressions and the basic outline of songs and then we all get together to finish them. I would say, if anything, freedom. Its so open ended we can really develop ideas from it. I’m sure it will change over time.

Aktar3

Buzz - How has your music evolved since you first began playing music together?

Bradley - We are coming up with better concepts and ideas for our songs. When you have really good ideas you can really push yourself to see what’s behind all the doors. Every door you hit is a challenge you need to overcome, and by confronting these challenges, you evolve as musicians.



Buzz - How can fans-to-be gain access to your music?

Bradley - We have a Myspace, a Facebook, and our older music is on ITunes.



Buzz - Is there anyone you'd like to acknowledge for offering financial or emotional support?

Bradley - We would love some financial support! We would thank the shit out of 'em. All our families rule. They are always at our shows doing whatever they can to help. It’s really nice to have people around you that know your dream and will do anything it takes to achieve that dream.


Buzz - Do you have a record label? Are you a member of any music organizations?

Bradley - We do not have a record label or any musical affiliations. We have had companies offer us some things but nothing that we felt would be beneficial at the time. We are going to be pushing to build a team once we finish this new record. - Buzz News Weekly


"Nov 12 Metro Press Release"

Friday November 12, 2010, Betta Promotions! presents a showcase at Chicago’s iconic Metro (3730 N. Clark St.) featuring Aktar Aktar. In support of the Chicago based headliners are; Jon Drake & the Shakes, Chaperone and DASTARDLY creating another true Betta Promotions! showcase of Chicago’s most talented artists.

Aktar Aktar, should be a band well known to many of Betta Promotions faithful. Back in June, they headlined a near record setting showcase at Chicago’s Lincoln Hall, curated by Betta. Aktar, a four piece, might be one of Chicago’s most popular indie acts yet to be signed, however this has yet to slow the band. Aktar looks to use this Metro show as a linchpin for a small Midwest tour they will be returning from.
Music can be heard via their Myspace at: http://www.myspace.com/aktaraktar - Betta Promotions


"The Heavy Rolls through Summerfest"

Other highlights from Friday:

Aktar Aktar: The Chicago-based indie rockers put on a fun and entertaining show that got a large crowd in front of the stage dancing and having a good time. Lead singer Jacob Swearson had an interesting tone to his voice that complimented the vocals of Tim Maguire very well. The band clearly had a good time on stage as did a bunch of casual and devoted fans in attendance. - Josh Miller From OnMilwaukee.com


"Last Saturday Night Was Awesome"

Anyways, I had to photograph the second show. So I whipped out my camera from its bag. Oh yeah, side note, my camera’s name is Jenny, so if I say Jenny from now on, I mean my camera. This applies to future blogs too ;) Anyways, back to the night. I added Sarah (my 55m to 200m lens) and set the settings to what I know will shoot well in the Beat Kitchen’s low light. Just as I was getting things together, Aktar Aktar (above) began to play. Initially, the strange melodies and the Piebald-on-speed vocals kind of turned me off, but as they moved through their set, they really grew on me. They were one of the first opening bands that I’ve seen get an encore, which is an accomplishment. If I’d had some money, I’d have gone and bought their CD. Sadly though, I was low on funds, so I went and introduced myself and said I’d buy their CD at their next show. Side note: If you’re in Chicago, catch AktarAktar at LaSalle Power Company July 30th. Otherwise, Myspace.com/AktarAktar to find a date near you. - C Rose Taylor @ Wordpress


Discography

Self titled (March '09)
5 song EP (July '10)

Q101 101.1FM
Wonc 89.1FM
Fearlessradio.com

Singles
-By & By
-Theif

Photos

Bio

Aktar Aktar is four young men from Chicago, IL who are exploring the boundaries of danceable rock music. They first released a self titled album which pushed them out of the dingy dive bars where they found their original following and drew them to some of the greatest venues Chicago has to offer. Now they are touring all throughout the midwest at a feverish pace and after their headlining spot on November 12th at Chicago's legendary Metro they are working on their next ep with high hopes of grabbing the attention of a manager/booking agent that will push their careers into deeper waters.