Tomorrow’s Cult Band Today
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The Busy Signals’ roots are in Atlanta, where bassist Jeremy Thompson–then a member of Douchemaster mainstays the Carbonas–met and began dating McGorty. Jensen, a friend of Thompson’s, was the first to come to Chicago, moving in 2002 after local punks the Tyrades recruited him as their drummer. Thompson and McGorty followed the year after, and by early ’04 the three of them were talking about starting their own band. Their search for guitarists led them to Chicago native Kevin Goggin, a vet of the English Softhearts and the Krunchies, and to Eric Cecil, a recent arrival from Galesburg, Illinois, who met Thompson while he was DJing at Delilah’s. “I was wearing a Crime shirt and he was wearing a Boys shirt, and I was telling him to play more Hubble Bubble songs,” says Cecil. “Just total record-nerd shit.”
The band began rehearsing in September 2004. “Early on, Jeremy laid out how he wanted to do a power-pop band, but not patronizing power pop. Really good catchy songs, but nothing overly sugary and obvious,” says Cecil. “The whole modern power-pop thing leaves a horrible taste in all our mouths. It’s all fashion, no content. We wanted to have the total package.”
Although the Busy Signals have talked with several indie labels, including Shit Sandwich, they don’t want to sign a deal till they have a finished recording. For the time being they have shows to play and a new single to push–this weekend they’re making their longest out-of-town trip yet to play a handful of gigs in Austin, including an official South by Southwest slot alongside New York buzz bands the DC Snipers and LiveFastDie (whose lineup includes drummer Matt Williams of recently defunct locals the Baseball Furies).
Earlier this month Kinsella’s attorney and the DA had nearly reached an agreement that would’ve reduced the charge to a misdemeanor, “outraging public decency,” which carries no requirement to register as a sex offender. Kinsella also would’ve been required to do 100 hours of community service and pay a fine; he’d be on probation for three years, but if he made it through with no further mishaps, his record would be expunged. But the presiding district judge, Janice Dreiling, decided that wasn’t enough punishment to fit the crime. Though she agreed to the rest of the plea bargain, setting the fine at $1,000, she ruled that instead of doing community service Kinsella should spend 60 days in jail. Kinsella still has the option to go to trial, but he says he’ll accept the ruling. He’s eager to get the whole thing over with and hopes to begin serving his sentence shortly after the Make Believe’s March 26 show at the Fireside Bowl.
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