Sundowner

About

Neon Fiction by Sundowner Sometimes life goes according to a plan, but it’s more often just a series of happy accidents. Such is the case with Sundowner , the solo side project of The Lawrence Arms guitarist, songwriter, and co-frontman Chris McCaughan. His musical journey started twenty years ago, writing basic chords and lyrics in his Chicago bedroom, inspired by the wealth of local punk bands and the community of other passionate and creative teens he met at their shows. He continued writing and playing in assorted groups throughout high school and college, when one of those endeavors—*The Lawrence Arms*—picked up steam and ensured that music was no longer just a creative outlet for him: it was becoming a bona fide career. Writing and recording three records with TLA between 2000 and 2006, he honed his craft and began to notice a gradual evolution in his style, taking chances with a more authentic, roots-based approach. Bolstered by friends who heard the homemade four-track demos of this material and also noted the shifting musical perspective, Chris decided that what had initially been potential b-sides for the band should live separately, under their own name. Sundowner was born. “I never set out to do solo acoustic music, though it’s become very popular in the punk rock pool we’ve all been swimming in,” says McCaughan. “I think it makes a lot of sense, though: it’s another way to get more material out and it’s easier to get shows on your own, without a band.” Not that this isn’t in some ways a “band” record. While previous Sundowner efforts took a rather bare bones approach, they weren’t truly solo, since TLA bandmate Neil Hennessy contributed bass and engineering skills on both. This time around, the two expanded on their previous work, creating lusher arrangements and a more traditional ensemble sound to frame Chris’s vocals. As he says, “Each record has a different orientation, but still sounds like my style. You can connect the dots stylistically from the