Neptune’s Core is a Chicago teen band ready for SXSW
It’s not a matter of whether Neptune’s Core is ready to take on the world. It’s a matter of if the world is ready for Neptune’s Core.
This four-piece band of high schoolers is more assured of themselves, their music, and their potential then nearly any other band I have met over the last few years. And in a music world that is consumed with flashes in the pan, it’s nice to finally have a band intent on creating and sustaining their longevity.
That’s not to say that Neptune’s Core is all business and no fun. The group’s members are sisters Sofie Richter and Hannah Richter and sisters Jackie Cywinski and Kaitlin Cywinski, and they’re still quite young, meaning they approach life, friendship, and their music with a vivacious energy which translates both on and off stage. But it’s easy to take their intentions seriously when the music itself is just really, really good.
“When we established the band, we thought, ‘What’s our sound going to be? What’s our persona gonna be? How do we want people to view us?’ That was a whole thing we were trying to figure out for a long time. But you don’t need to have an established sound or an established personality that you want people to pick up,” said Kaitlin Cywinski. “You just do whatever you want to do and have freedom with that and creativity.”
Take their last EP, “Called Upon,” released last summer. The six-track collection shows a marked evolution in their sound, one that weaves art rock theatrics and indie sensibilities, like a spunkier Veruca Salt.
“We just started experimenting more and taking more risks and really just stepping outside of our comfort zone musically and exploring,” Sofie Richter said.
The opening track “Inside” is a definitive statement of emotional angst fueled by propulsive rhythms and a surprising, last minute beat change. That same sound continues throughout the EP, especially on tracks like the show-stopping, nostalgia-laden “Unloved,” which sounds pulled straight from 1997. It’s epic music made by a group with epic goals.
“I think a cool thing is that we’ve really learned so much together and built off of each other. It really brought us together just learning at the same time,” Sofie said. This translates to their songwriting process, which they say is perhaps the easiest part of being in a band. We understand each other on levels I can’t even understand sometimes.”
As the band has grown, so too have their audience. Many established artists in the city — ones who were major influences for the band — have embraced Neptune’s Core, offering insights and nurturing. The band members cite artists like Dehd (who asked them to open during a New Years Eve show), Kaina, the duo Finom and Sen Morimoto as important figures for how they approach creating music as independent artists. “I think the general feeling with us is that we’re so stoked and we’re so grateful,” Jackie said. “We’re surrounded by a lot of really cool communities and musicians in Chicago. It’s just really exciting to work with them.”
Now, the rest of the world will also get the chance to experience Neptune’s Core. In March, they will travel down to Austin for the annual South by Southwest Festival. The event, which is often a make or break experience of live shows and networking for up-and-coming artists, will test the group’s bona fides in a new market. But they’re not too worried about that.
In addition to SXSW, the band will open for musician Friko in March. They’ll also release a new double-sided single, “Box/ Anyway,” that same month. Later, they’ll embark on an East Coast tour. It’s a lot for any band, especially one still in high school. Yet they’re ready and excited.
It all comes back to that self-assuredness, that focus and drive. Where other artists may be floundering, Neptune’s Core knows who they are and what they need to do next.
“I think another one of our
goals is just to always be trying something new. Especially sonically, we just always bring something new to the table. And I think that’s what keeps it so exciting and scary in a way,” Sofie said.
Hopefully, with these next opportunities, the group will reach even greater levels of success.