Ravinia 2019, Issue 7, Week 15

American Authors had some of the best days of their lives when they toured with OneRepublic and The Script in 2014, including a two-date stop at Ravinia. perfectly demonstrated in hit songs such as “Believer,” “What We Live For,” “Grow,” “Go Big or Go Home,” and, of course, the group’s megahit “Best Day of My Life.” e band’s origin laid within the walls of Boston’s Berklee College of Music, where they all met in . From there the foursome would move to into a too-small apartment in Brooklyn and begin releasing some indie EPs over a span of ve years. Fast forward many hits and a few necessary challenges, and Seasons has already spawned o its share of poetic anthems, declarations of truth, and authenticity within the verses and choruses of such songs as the album’s rst o cial single, “Deep Water,” which was released in May and garnered nearly million streams. e song was also featured in TV shows such as Fox’s and ABC’s e Good Doctor . “We saw a -year-old kid on social media singing ‘Deep Water,’ ” recalls Barnett, chuckling happily at the memory. “It’s really something to have that kind of impact. To see the young- er fans gravitate toward songs like ‘Deep Water’ and ‘Neighbor- hood’ is just crazy.” Another standout on the new album is the religious experi- ence that is “Say Amen,” which features Canadian singer-song- writer Billy Ra oul and has already garnered over million views on YouTube. Now, the band looks forward to spending the summer playing these anthems on tour, including an August date at Ravinia alongside O.A.R. and Rozzi. “Ravinia is a place we look forward to coming back to as a band,” says Barnett. “It’s just super beautiful and the surround- ings are unlike anything else. We also have friends in Chicago so it feels like coming home.” Barnett takes a beat to think back to a moment from one night of the band’s double-header debut stand opening for OneRepublic, a moment spent in inky darkness. “All of the power had gone out in the backstage area,” he laughs. “I mean, I remember just sitting back there in the dark waiting to come out. We had no idea what was about to happen.” Indeed, no matter where American Authors nd themselves playing on any given night or the circumstances they nd themselves facing, their live show puts them in a bracket of some of the nest live musicians out there. “Music allows all of us a place to let the emotions go,” says Barnett. “We feel the live concert experience very intensely right along with our fans, and yes, it always seems to be a ther- apeutic experience for all of us.” And that raw emotional experience is the exactly the meth- od to the live show madness. “It’s a roller coaster every time we perform, and that’s the way it’s meant to be,” says the lead vocalist and guitarist. “ ere are lots of highs and lows and times when we can take them down and be more serious and then bring them up again. We like to take people on a journey through those emotions.” It’s a journey that the band invites their fans to take with them not only at their live shows, but also within their life away from the stage. Most recently, the music video for the album cut “Before I Go” gave fans to an intimate look at Sanchez’s wedding last October. “It was such a fun wedding and really special, and it was really cool that the entire music video was done on a whim and the last minute,” explains Barnett. “Like, literally, two days before the wedding, we decided to lm it.” And as Barnett and his fellow bandmates and their ador- ing fans nd themselves growing older alongside the music, feelings are mixed. “I hate getting older,” Barnett admits. “Like, I just really want to stop the clock. I mean, I feel good but I don’t want to get any older. I wanna stay right where I am.” But then he stops and rethinks his words. “I think we have made a career out of giving the world something very hon- est,” Barnett says quietly. “Being honest is universal and something we all can bene t from, right?” Better words were never authored. Tricia Despres is a Chicago-area freelance entertainment writer whose work has appeared in the Chicago Sun-Times , Taste of Country , and a number of local, regional, and national publications. Follow her on Twitter at @CHIWriter. PREVIOUS SPREAD: SPENCER KOHN; THIS PAGE: PEDRO DE JESUS/RAVINIA 28 RAVINIA MAGAZINE | AUGUST 26, 2019 – MAY 9, 2020