Based in Santa Monica but drawing much of their influence from time spent in New York, the four guys who comprise Chief could be compared to Fleet Foxes -- they're just as young and just as brimming with melodies. Yet Chief's music is full of exuberance, even in comparison; it's got the pop beats of The Beach Boys to go with the cohesive feel of a Neil Young record.
The four members (Evan Koga, brothers Danny and Michael Fujikawa, Mike Moonves) came together while studying at NYU. They began to make the rounds in the New York music scene, but eventually found themselves migrating back to the slower pace in California to record much of their debut. Modern Rituals was created in four studios spread throughout California, but also in one studio in New York. Emery Dobyns, the Grammy-winning producer, was behind much of the production.
Modern Rituals is just Chief's debut full-length, and it doesn't come out until mid-August, but Chief already has a strong EP called Night and Day and a devoted fan base. With their bright, high melodies, multipart harmonies and a firm grasp on the concept of romantic rock, the members of Chief are poised to break bigger when Modern Rituals comes out on Aug. 17.
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