With their debut album, When I Was Younger reaching No. 154 on the Billboard 200 last year, this American Indie rock trio composed of brothers Caleb and Will Chapman and friend Scott Mills is climbing to the top. If you haven’t put it together already Caleb and Will are the sons of the contemporary Christian pop musician, Steven Curtis Chapman—who influenced them greatly.
“I probably wouldn’t be playing music if it weren’t for him,” Caleb says.
Other than father Chapman some of the band’s early influences were from the British Rock industry. This includes bands such as Boxer Rebellion, Athlete and Keane.
“Back then we had some desire to be a British rock band, they seemed to have all the cool music,” Caleb says. “But since we’ve discovered a lot of bands from our sound.”
Brandon Flowers, The Killers and Velton Spirits are currently some of the band’s favorites.
The band rebranded themselves last year before releasing their debut album because of the confusion that came along with being name after only one group member. Instead of Caleb, they wanted something that incorporated the three of them together.
“We picked Colony house, the apartment we all lived in when we started the band,” Caleb says. “It’s a little humble apartment complex in downtown Franklin where me and Will were raised.”
The name Colony House represents the starting place for the trio and it seemed to fit them perfectly as it incorporated a significant part of each of them.
And we can’t end this without mentioning one of the biggest reasons the band is able to succeed, and thus come to St. Louis to perform— the women in their lives.
“My wife is the bomb. She’s awesome,” Caleb says. “Overall, without supportive wives and girlfriends and all of that there would be no way, it’d be real hard.”
Luckily, this isn’t Caleb’s first time to St. Louis. The band has played at a few venues and he says he loves it so much here he’s trying to get his wife to come along. He’ll be staying with his wife’s grandmother—Grandma Renken, where he’s stayed before while on tour.
When I talked to Caleb, the band’s was in the middle of traveling nonstop from Nashville to San Francisco to make sure they made it to the next stop of their tour on time.
“By the time we get to St. Louis if we aren’t able to communicate like normal human beings then that’s why,” Caleb says.
If this doesn’t show dedication then I don't know what will.
Colony House performs Saturday, September 12 at 2 p.m. For more information, go to loufest.com.
