Native Fiction
- Phil Sheaff – guitars, lead vocals
- Graham Czach – basses, vocals
- Matt Nelson – keyboards, vocals
- Brad Dickert – drums, vocals
Promoting the spirit of free mind and spurning conformity, the result of their union is an emotional, intense example of thought provoking rock. Rich, powerful vocal harmonies blend seamlessly into shifting rhythms and evocative guitar work. The strength of Native Fiction lies in their ability to convey myriad moods, heightening tension and releasing it in dynamic waves that portray their dedication to professional ability. Their lyrics embrace vivid consciousness and the joys and pains that come with it, all injected with a wry sense of humor and a genuine curiosity for the human condition.
Native Fiction was originally the brain child of Graham Czach and Phil Sheaff who, after several successful collaborations over the past ten years, wanted to bring forth their grandest vision yet. As both Graham and Phil graduated from college with their respective music degrees, they sought out other musicians who shared the same high standards. They found these attributes in Brandon Dickert, Matt Nelson, and Matt Nischan, and immediately realized they shared a similar musical vision and thought outside the lines of conventional modern rock music. On good terms, Native Fiction disbanded in 2005 due mostly to creative differences.
The progressive palette of Native Fiction does not paint them into a corner defined by conventional genre. Rather, it frees them to explore sounds both physical and cerebral, rocking furiously with one glance and soaring harmoniously with one another. The energy contained in their studio recordings and on stage has lured a variety of local audiences, who are further hooked by their unique melody and thoughtful compositions.
Choosing to blaze their own path, Native Fiction sounds like no other rock band today. However, for some points of reference, their collective influences include (but are not limited to) Pink Floyd, Frank Zappa, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Mr. Bungle, Miles Davis, Bob Marley, Phish, the Beatles, Faith No More, Led Zeppelin, James Brown, Herbie Hancock, Neil Young, MMW, Hendrix, Primus, Bill Evans, Debussy, Ravel, and many others.
Native Fiction has been aired on Chicago radio stations WIIL (95.1), WXRT (93.1) among others including some inter-net radio stations. The band performed extensively in 2004-05 all over the Midwest and beyond with rave reviews. Native Fiction disbanded in 2005.
"You won't find a band in Chicagoland more driven to succeed than Native Fiction. They have a firm grasp on the importance of tireless promotion and they're ever intent on maintaining a high public profile and professional image within the local scene. On stage, the band delivers on the hype with energetic live shows that keep the audiences guessing as the music hops from one genre to the next. And although, these days, it seems everyone's claiming their own brand of "this meets that with a little bit of some ther thing", Native Fiction's technical chops actually demand such variety. Anything predictable would be a waste of the band's first class musicianship." – House Call Entertainment, Chicago, IL
"There's a certain irrreverence to being uncatagorizable, the songs of Native Fiction draw you in and sound like nothing but the future." -Doug McBride Owner Gravity Studios Chicago, IL
