Review & Photos: Colony House at House of Blues Chicago

The music of Colony House—an indie rock band made up of brothers Will and Caleb Chapman, as well as Scott Mills and Parke Cottrell—is playfully self-described as “landlocked surf rock.” Their personal genre designation is as much inspired by their hometown of Franklin, Tenn. as is their new album The Cannonballers which was just released on February 3, 2023.

The Cannonballers marks the band’s fourth full-length release: their three previous studio collections take listeners on a journey through stories of loss, grief, and heartbreak while welcoming them into the hope that comes on the other side. The band has performed their songs for worldwide audiences with two appearances on both Late Night with Seth Meyers and CONAN, as well as The Today Show, VH1’s “Morning Buzz,” and MTV Live. They have also been part of several festival lineups including Shaky Knees, Austin City Limits, Firefly, WonderBus, and Lollapalooza.

Colony House’s music is built on pillars of honesty, accessibility and family, and much of The Cannonballers is too: within 11 tracks, the band delves into where they come from and how a place, and its memories, have made them. To the band, The Cannonballers signifies the carefree times of childhood past, with its beautiful naivete, while simultaneously encapsulating their alter ego—a character speeding down the open road, racing the clock in his rear view. The band is often caught in the duality between the “Cannonballer” and the kid on the album cover.

Disney Plus Informer recently had the chance to chat with Colony House’s frontman Caleb Chapman about their new album, touring and more. Check out the full interview here.

We also had the opportunity to attend their show at House of Blues Chicago on March 14, 2023. Read on below.

Review of Colony House at House of Blues Chicago 3-14-23

Colony House immediately hit the gas pedal with the opener “Landlocked Surf Rock,” their self-described genre song, which is the first track off their new album Cannonballers, followed by the powerhouse track “Would Ya Could Ya.” Next up is “Silhouettes” off their When I Was Younger album and during this song, frontman Caleb Chapman has no qualms about diving into the audience and dancing and mingling with fans. The energy this band and its fans exude is infectious. Even the ballads match the impressive electricity of their lively anthems. Colony House’s songs are diverse and magical in a way that they can connect with every single person in the room. The show concludes with “Looking for Some Light” and “You Know It.” With fans echoing the lyrics, I’m not sure who was the loudest, but the energy literally shook the floor and blew the roof off House of Blues in Chicago. They’ll blow you away too. See them live!

Check out some photos and videos from the show below: