When it comes to Ft. Collins bands, some can fit in a box and others can’t. Chess at Breakfast is one of those bands that well, can’t. Now dropping their first full-length album Wealthcare, this experimental rock trio is proving once again they could give a shit about any box they’re supposed to be fitting in.
Formed in 2016 and made up of vocalist/guitarist Caleb McFadden, bassist Justin Daggett, and drummer Mike Davis, Chess at Breakfast has found a freedom in totally letting go of any conventions or expectations.
A long time in the making, they began recording in the Fall of 2017 at Coupe Studios in Boulder. Over the next two years it would be a process of bouncing between recording at home to returning to Coupe until finally, Wealthcare was ready to see the light of day. “We got to take our time with things, there wasn’t any pressure which was nice,” says McFadden. “It’s good to know it’s done.”
Wealthcare is an eight track wander through the vast scope of Rock n’ Roll. Anxious yet contemplative, it burns hot at times with tracks like “Ambulance” and “POTUS Blues” but bounces quickly to the cool modes of “Hello Haunt” and “Glaciers.”
“We got really creative,” says McFadden of the record’s breadth. “We had time to really have fun with it.”
As a band, according to McFadden, they’ve taken a lot of ques from the headiness of Pink Floyd where the mission is to make minds explode. “We love that super trapped-in-the-head kind of weird, wonky stuff,” says McFadden. “But we all have our individual influences.”
Looking forward to the summer, they have an extensive tour planned for the end of May then it’s back to songwriting in the Fall. And if Wealthcare is any indicator, this band is on a journey we all want to be on.
Chess at Breakfast celebrates the album’s release at The Downtown Artery in Fort Collins, CO on Friday, May 10 as well as a tour kick off at Lion’s Lair in Denver on Thursday, May 23 and an appearance at The Moxi in Greeley, May 25 with In The Whale.
