OSL’s second installment of Live on Campus will feature yet another Chicago based band, “Republic of Lights.” The lead singer, Alan described their sound to be like Bruce Springsteen or The Strokes on a good day, and Arcade Fire or Elvis Costello on other good days. The band consists of 5 members: a keyboard/guitarist, a second guitarist, a bassist, a drummer, and a lead singer/guitarist.
The band formed 8 years ago in Chicago. Alan, the lead singer joked about their go to story being that they all met at a high profile financial company and one of them had previously been a medicine man in New Orleans. However, like most bands, some of the members met in high school and others met in college, creating a collaborative experience between the five of them. Although the band has been influenced by much of what they grew up with and listen to now, a few include Queen, Spoon, and Kanye West. “We fight it sometimes,” Alan admits after giving Queen as an example because his dad used to play it around the house, “but you can’t always fight who you are.”
The band’s name was inspired by a René Magritte painting titled, “Empire of Lights.” Not wanting to step on the toes of, “Empire,” another band based in Chicago at the time, the band altered the name to “Republic of Lights.”
When asked what most of their songs are about, Alan did not disappoint and gave a widely varied list, “Movies, friends that have disappointed you, weird baggage, people who are too cool to high five, French movies, criticism, embracing things about yourself that you don’t even like…” He made it clear that they don’t put a label on what they normally write about. The songs simply display what was on their minds at the time.
As if there was a need to prove the band’s affection for eccentricity,  Alan confessed that the band was once turned down for a tour that none of them wanted to go on, Alan once appeared in a music video for another band, and the band’s mascot has been declared a Yip-Yip, a type of alien.
After the Live on Campus performance, they will be finishing up their next record, scheduled to come out in this next month. Their music can be found on republicoflights.com, iTunes, or YouTube for old and new fans alike.
Republic of Lights will perform in the Brew at 6 pm on September 11th. If the details of the band’s personality are any indication, it’s sure to be an energetic performance with something for every one to enjoy.