Ganser

Chicago quartet Ganser built on a foundation of moody, goth-indebted post-punk, drawing on more art rock influences as their sound developed. The band's lyrical themes of doom, anxiety, and apocalyptic dread matched their glowering musical style on albums like 2020's Just Look at That Sky. Ganser began as a duo in 2014, formed by keyboardist/vocalist Nadia Garofalo and bassist/vocalist Alicia Gaines. The two friends had met at art school and bonded over their shared love of experimental bands and film. Over the next few years, the group was filled out with guitarist Charlie Landsman and drummer Brian Cundiff, and by 2015 they had fallen into a shadowy post-punk sound and released their first single. Self-released cassette EPs in 2016 led up to the band's debut full-length, Odd Talk, in 2018. The album was well received and drew substantial press. Ganser quickly followed the next year with a self-released 10" EP entitled You Must Be New Here. The band got noisier as they leaned into more complex arrangements, enhancing both the production values and overarching sense of gloom on their 2020 sophomore album, Just Look at That Sky. ~ Fred Thomas