Indie-pop band Varsity has been making waves in Chicago and beyond for the past decade. Since bursting onto the scene with their self-titled debut album, the band – consisting of Stef Smith, Dylan Weschler, Patrick Stanton, Paul Stolz and Jake Stolz – has gradually grown a loyal following in the DIY music space.
On their latest project, Varsity took a rather unconventional approach to recording an album. Over the past year, the band would gather at home for jam sessions once a month to create a song, free from the daunting pressure that a full LP may pose.
“At the beginning of each month, we’d get together and workshop some ideas and run with what we felt was the strongest one at the time,” Stanton explained. “We would write the song together in our practice space, play it through a couple times, and then hit record.”
For a band that’s been active for nearly a decade, it also served as an exercise in experimentation in songwriting and exploring new sounds. Varsity said it would look to different artists to serve as inspiration for each track. One month’s song was inspired by Crumb’s “Reference Point,” while another took note from Paul McCartney’s “Bought the Farm.”
By the end of 2023, naturally, the band has 12 new tracks, enough for a full-length LP. Ben Lumsdaine and Michael MacDonald were brought on to help mix the tunes before the process was wrapped up by Weschler. The finished product is called Souvenirs, sharing its title with one of the songs they made, and will be released on February 16.
“Each song represents a moment in time from the year past. Not only what music we were listening to and were inspired by, but where each one of us was at emotionally,” Stanton said.
Stream the titular track from Varsity’s forthcoming LP, “Souvenirs.” The album is out in full on February 16.
