“The Flat Five are like a fine cocktail, a perfect blend of the finest ingredients all blending together in an orgasmic experience that leaves you wanting more. In these strange times The Flat Five rise like the sun, giving us warmth and a bright loving feeling.” – Alejandro Escovedo
The Flat Five is Chicago’s beloved band of in-demand music biz touring and recording ringers - Kelly Hogan and Nora O’Connor (Neko Case, Mavis Staples, The Decemberists, The New Pornographers) Scott Ligon and Casey McDonough (NRBQ, Brian Wilson) and Alex Hall (J.D. McPherson, The Cactus Blossoms.)
For over 17 years, these shameless harmony junkies have come together in their limited off-time to make their own kind of twisted sunshine pop. Their 2016 debut album It’s a World of Love and Hope scored big with critics and fans alike (including high-profile Flat Five fanatics like Nick Lowe and Wilco) and their 2020 follow-up Another World has kept the flame burning bright.
From the laid-back simple to the oddly romantic to the slightly subversive, there is a spirit of wide-eyed sweetness at the heart of The Flat Five’s music. The charms of this band are manifest — in-the-pocket harmonies, a vastly diverse genre-hopping repertoire, the infectious energy of their sold-out live shows, and their undeniable love for the music and each other.
“Singers Nora O’Connor and Kelly Hogan harmonize with dreamy precision, covering a broad stylistic range with ease, while the top-notch band—drummer Alex Hall, bassist Casey McDonough, and guitarist-keyboardist Scott Ligon— forge a dazzling hybrid of vintage-pop verities... I’m not sure if another record this year has given me more unalloyed pleasure.” – Chicago Reader
“I’ve not played an album over and over like this one in recent memory and subsequently tried to figure out why. I’m still not sure, but what’s exceptional is this wonderful Venn diagram of the under-appreciated Chicago music scene. In fact, when you put elite-level talents like these together – all of whom share such a passion for the craft and an unselfish love for one another – greatness shouldn’t be surprising.” – Farce the Music