The Flat Five Premiers “This’ll Be The Day”

Updated:

August 2, 2021 10:07 am

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From the upcoming Another World, their second album of songs by Chris Ligon.

We are happy to share this video for “This’ll Be The Day,” a new track from The Flat Five’s upcoming album, Another World. It’s the second album from this supergroup of five of Chicago’s most in-demand studio singers who have provided harmonies for everyone from NRBQ to Brian Wilson, Neko Case and many others.

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They’re so in demand, in fact, that their busy schedules allowed them to perform only one gig a year together at the most.

They are: singers Kelly Hogan, Nora O’Connor, Scott Ligon (who also plays bass), and Casey McDonough (who plays organ). Alex Hall is on drums.

All the songs on the new album are by Chris Ligon, a brilliant Chicago songwriter who is also Scott Ligon’s big brother. Scott Ligon has been somewhat of a secret hero in Chicago, which is a good distinction to have, as it’s how John Prine started. But just as Prine’s secret got out to the world, so is Scott Ligon’s. His songs have been featured on the Showtime series “Weeds,” the Dr. Demento Show and elsewhere.

His songs also comprised a full album prior to the new one, which was also by Flat Five, their 2016 debut It’s A World of Love & Hope. It was acclaimed with much fervor by critics and also famous fans, such as Nick Lowe and Jeff Tweedy.

Having such a stellar vocal group like this record a single song would be a privilege for any songwriter. But two entire albums? It’s a rarefied honor. Well-deserved, of course; he’s a great writer. But even our most iconic songwriters have received one album of their songs at the most, if that.

Fast Five has slowly built a passionate audience, which has amped up the pressure to record. So why delay? Because every one of the five was super busy, back in the land of pre-Pandemic. Both Scott Ligon and McDonough are members of NRBQ, while Hogan and O’Connor sing backup for Mavis Staples, as well as Neko Case, and Jakob Dylan. So there wasn’t much time left for the group.

Yet they prevailed. Scott Ligon produced and drummer Alex Hall engineered it at his own Chicago studio, Reliable Recorders. It took a full year to complete.

Another World is being issued by Pravda Records/Augiedisc Records on November 13^th on CD, 12” vinyl LP, digital download and via streaming platforms.