Although their debut EP dropped back in November, evidently it’s still Morpho season. The project of Chicago-based musician Kristyn Chapman is following a brief set of Midwestern release shows for Morpho Season with a two-song “Neighborhoods” set that sees her band jamming the grungy, riff-heavy tracks “Blue Light” and “Half of Two” in her hometown’s A. Montgomery Ward Park in the River North neighborhood. “We recorded this session the day after the EP release on a chilly fall morning,” she notes, explaining why her bare arms are exposed while the city is currently undergoing sub-zero temps. “Our planned power source wasn’t working, but the nearby barbershop let us plug our extension cord into their outlet, and three daisy-chained extension cords later, we were ready to rock and roll.”
Regarding the song selection, she continues: “These songs are my favorite to play live, especially after being on the road. I love locking in with the band on the groove and long jam on ‘Blue Light.’ That one gets a bit rowdy, too—especially after this most recent tour. And it’s probably obvious, but I love the long solo on ‘Half of Two.’ That’s been another one that’s really come alive live. During the solo, I love going out into the crowd and getting up close to people. It’s been a fun evolution with live, the songs feel so lived in.”
And despite the band’s setup in an area that’s largely residential (it’s just north of the Loop along the Chicago River), Chapman adds that they didn’t run into any issues. “We attracted some spectators—people who were walking their dogs, families, runners—who were all very nice about us playing loud rock music at 11 in the morning!” Check out the performance below, and stream Morpho Season here.
