The Flat Five

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The members of The Flat Five on a couch.

The Flat Five

It would be hard to go wrong with any project involving singers Kelly Hogan and Nora O’Connor, both lauded for their solo work and as harmony singers/touring players for artists such as Neko Case and The Decemberists. Add other musical ringers like NRBQ members Scott Ligon and Casey McDonough and drummer Alex Hall (J.D. McPherson, Joel Paterson) and you have a supergroup on your hands. The quintet have been writing and recording off-kilter harmony pop as the Flat Five periodically for some years now, and any time their busy schedules align to convene for a tour it is a date to put on the calendar in pen.

media release: “The Flat Five are like a fine cocktail, a perfect blend of the finest ingredients all blending together in an orgasmic experience that leaves you wanting more. In these strange times The Flat Five rise like the sun, giving us warmth and a bright loving feeling.” – Alejandro Escovedo

The Flat Five is Chicago’s beloved band of in-demand music biz touring and recording ringers - Kelly Hogan and Nora O’Connor (Neko Case, Mavis Staples, The Decemberists, The New Pornographers) Scott Ligon and Casey McDonough (NRBQ, Brian Wilson) and Alex Hall (J.D. McPherson, The Cactus Blossoms.)

For over 16 years, these shameless harmony junkies have come together in their limited off-time to make their own kind of twisted sunshine pop. Their 2016 debut album It’s a World of Love and Hope scored big with critics and fans alike (including high-profile Flat Five fanatics like Nick Lowe and Wilco) and their 2020 follow-up Another World has kept the flame burning bright.

From the laid-back simple to the oddly romantic to the slightly subversive, there is a spirit of wide-eyed sweetness at the heart of The Flat Five’s music. The charms of this band are manifest — in-the-pocket harmonies, a vastly diverse genre-hopping repertoire, the infectious energy of their sold-out live shows, and their undeniable love for the music and each other.

“Their disparate songs coalesce around a tone that is unapologetically uplifting. It's impossible to listen to the Flat Five and not smile.” – Chicago Tribune

“Though never nostalgic, the harmony-laden, crisply-arranged results recall the era when popular music was making the switch from AM to FM, and singles to albums. Imagine the Fifth Dimension scoring Twin Peaks… The Flat Five are a song’s best friend.” – No Depression

“Singers Nora O’Connor and Kelly Hogan harmonize with dreamy precision, covering a broad stylistic range with ease, while the top-notch band—drummer Alex Hall, bassist Casey McDonough, and guitarist-keyboardist Scott Ligon—forge a dazzling hybrid of vintage-pop verities… I’m not sure if another record this year has given me more unalloyed pleasure.” – Chicago Reader

“There’s a lot of love in this group and it’s easy to hear as they cover plenty of ground with jazzy, bubbly, and incredibly smooth vocals. Their voices pop, blend, bebop and sway all through your speakers. The Flat Five is irresistible and catchy.” – Elmore Magazine

“The Flat Five, a band featuring Kelly Hogan, Nora O'Connor, Scott Ligon, Casey McDonough and Alex Hall, might be one of Chicago's best kept music secrets.” – RedEye Chicago

“I’ve not played an album over and over like this one in recent memory and subsequently tried to figure out why. I’m still not sure, but what’s exceptional is this wonderful Venn diagram of the under-appreciated Chicago music scene. In fact, when you put elite-level talents like these together – all of whom share such a passion for the craft and an unselfish love for one another – greatness shouldn’t be surprising.” – Farce the Music