Novem Life, Yo!

Persistence may lead to luck for some, but for Bully in the Hallway, their persistence and dedication to the Chicago scene are turning luck into fortune.  Recently releasing their debut album Apples and Sunshine, Bully has been turning heads since their conception in 2006.  Their edgy and poetic lyrics, reflective of Fugazi meets Sunny Day Real Estate, combined with their driving punk rhythms are bringing in the crowds who keep coming back for more.  After a busy weekend of rocking out, Novem was able to chat with Bully frontman Simon about what’s next for these fine Windy City gents.

Apples and Sunshine is out and flourishing, how does it feel to get some of your work recorded and produced for your fans?

Relieving, satisfying… We’re thankful to finally have it out in the public spectrum, but anticipating, anxiously, the critics eye.  Right now we’re holding onto our seats.  So far we’ve heard nothing but positive feed back from our fans, as well as the folks we worked with on it… And so far, so good.

I must say, I really enjoy it myself.  It sounds great.  How was your show at Reggie’s?

Lots of fun. We always get billed with great bands when we work with MPShows.  Mark Mallman was wild… Rocky Horror Jay Reatard meets Piano Man. The other two acts Late Aprill and The Melismatics killed it as well.  It was a real blast.  That stage is fun to play, like a level straight out of Guitar Hero.  The only discrepancy was when we unveiled a new track called “Golden Bones” about 3 quarters into our set most the audience was cleared out because of curfew laws.  We all looked at each other like, “Are they hating this right now?” “Let’s play harder!” We were later told why the audience was moved, much to our relief.

Yikes, the new curfew laws are a bummer for the scene, and with still talks of the promoter ordinance, things could get even worse.

Yeah, we hope that our local government is combed through and cleaned up.  They are trying to put constraints, much like the sales tax hike, which will greatly effect music “tourism” and viewership.  If they did like Bloomberg and cut the sales tax in half or thought about dropping that promoter ordinance, their would be a boom for those service industries.  Chicago’s Machine is the equivalent of a GM Truck, when we need to be a Tesla Coup.

Any plans for touring with Apples?

Yeah, we are working on getting shows in NYC, Michigan, Wisconsin, and around Illinois right now.  It’s tough in this economy, but as long as we make the right connections we’ll be alright. Right now it’s about baby steps.

Baby steps are always good and very smart at this stage in the game, especially during these times.  The road can be rough, but very rewarding if set up properly.  Now, I’ve heard word of a music video, but I haven’t seen anything yet?  How is that going?  Any chance of a quick glimpse?

Yeah, we shot it earlier this year… Our buddy Victor Grigas, who’s done some great work for Chicago’s  very own HipHop Hustler Sharkula a.k.a. Thigamagig, directed it.  It’s a video for our song “Steal the Wind It’s Free”.  Hopefully we can get it on JBTV soon and progress from there.  We are completely amused by it.  It’s highlarious and informative. haha

This song is one of my favs on the album, but I can’t help but think of Scarface….you guys fans of Tony Montana?

Fuck Yes. Love that movie!

I love your song, too, and always think of “The World is Yours” from the statue is his mansion or the blimp in the sky…

haha Thank you! I never thought about that. I will have to point that out to the guys.

As Summer comes to an end here in Chicago, how does it make ya feel about the rest of 2009?

We’re super excited for Fall.  Not only is it my favorite season, but it’s the time of the year for great shows.  We’re just hoping to book a Halloween gig.  Nothing more fun.  2009 is turning out to be a wonderful year for music.  And we see it only getting better

Indeed, 2009 has been a great year for music, how much have you enjoyed it on a musical note, any artists or albums keeping your ipod or discman warm?

Yeah, so many great albums… I’ve been jamming out to some great bands… The Antlers, Dead Weather, Dirty Projectors, Japandroids, Lemon Sun to name a few.  I’m really liking the new Pearl Jam album Backspacer. And techno has taking over the world in the past few years so MSTRKRFT, Deadmau5, Calvin Harris, Pretty Lights, and more have been keeping me limber.

I can’t wait for the new Pretty Lights to hit!  Derek is on fire these days.  How about the live music, Chicago is known for their numerous street festivals and summer events, what was your favorite performance?

My favorite performance… hmmm outside of Lolla, Local H killed it at West Fest, Junior Boys were solid at Wicker Park Fest.  Menomena and Flosstradamus were sick at Do Division. My favorite sets of the Summer would have to be Diplo at SmartBar.

For non-Chicagoans, what are the top 5 things one must do while in visiting the Windy City?

Let’s see…

1. Deep Dish and Good Beer – Just check out the unreal culinary scene

2. Dance To House Music

3. Visit The Novem Store… And Rock Some Novem Gear

4. See all the wonderful architecture of this town

5. And see some Local Music, Chicago’s scene is underestimated, but not for long