Communist Daughter perform in The Current studio
by Andrea Swensson, Communist Daughter and Cecilia Johnson
November 21, 2016
If you've gotten into Minnesota music in the last few years, you might be curious about Communist Daughter. The indie rock band (and most of its members) go way back in the scene, and they've amassed thousands of fans on social media. But they've been quiet for a while, keeping a lid on new music since 2012. The payoff, The Cracks That Built the Wall, came out last October; now, the band are riding the waves of their thoughtful, intense new album. Fresh off their first headlining Mainroom show, Communist Daughter — Johnny Solomon (vocals/guitar), Molly Solomon (vocals), Adam Switlick (bass), Al Weiers (guitar), Dillon Marchus (keys), Steven Yasgar (drums) — stopped by The Current's studios to share their story and the new album.
The Cracks That Built the Wall is a heavy album, but it's easy to put on a loop. The key: careful architecture. Communist Daughter constructs their music conscientiously, fitting together piece by piece with tender hands. "Now that everybody listens to music on their headphones, it's something that's really benefitted us, because we've always been making headphone music," Johnny Solomon said with a laugh.
"We started from rock bands — loud rock bands — so coming into Communist Daughter and trying to bring it back [and] be a little more introspective has made us aggressively introspective," Solomon continues. He's had a lot in life to ponder; it's been a long road for the band, with addiction and bipolar disorder once spiralling Johnny's life out of control. But more than the heap of backstory, what you really need to know is the music. With the release of The Cracks That Built the Wall, it's the perfect time to get to know the band.
Songs Performed
"Hold Back"
"Roll A Stone"
"Balboa Bridge"
All songs off Communist Daughter's album The Cracks That Built the Wall, out now.
Hosted by Andrea Swensson
Produced by Andrea Swensson
Engineered by Mike DeMark
Visuals by Leah Garaas
Web feature by Cecilia Johnson
