On new EP Cobwebs, the Chicago, IL quartet Otter Petter charms with a beguiling blend of chiming, soaring classic mid-aughts indie rock buoyed by a measured dose of engaging pop anthemics. Fittingly, the record exhorts us to search for hope withing the darkness of daily life; the undeniable melodic optimism playing perfect counterpoint to the deeply human lyricism.  

Today, Otter Petter has dropped the video for the title track for their EP out now via Barsuk Records, Cobwebs. “The idea was to capture the feeling of being alone among a group of people, in this case a party.  We thought it really captures the vibe of a classic Chicago house party in the winter.   We had a blast shooting the scenes as we basically threw 2 parties to capture all the footage,” said guitarist/vocalist Michael Pritchard. The video was filmed and edited by Dana Smith, along with director Dana Smith & Otter Petter.

Shortly after inception, Otter Petter – brothers Michael (guitar, vocals) and William Pritchard (drums), and Nate Lindsey (bass) – was chosen by the Chicago Tribune to compete in the “Metromix Rock ‘n’ Vote” contest. Readers voted with their hearts, and Otter Petter was chosen as one of four winning bands to play a show at Metro in Chicago.

In 2008, the band’s first full-length album Fireflies and Lamplights was greeted with glowing reviews. The 2010 follow up Nice Night for a Knife Fight was similarly lauded, breaking into the CMJ “Top 200” and being selected by Huffington Post as one of the top Chicago records of the year. 

Following the release of the 2018 single “Movies”, the band began work on new material with the hopes of a new release not too far down the horizon. Though slowed by the global pandemic, Michael continued writing songs quietly in his basement. As vaccines spread and fear began to fade, the occasional fully masked jam session moved things along at a slightly less glacial pace. Soon enough, the band moved into a practice space in Ft. Knox Studios in Chicago.  It was then that the arrangements and vibes for many of the new songs started to come into form.  

In 2022 the trio met Hillary Stone (keyboards) at a gig she was playing with another band. “She was a great fit right away, filling a void we’d had at keyboards and vocals” says Michael. The new quartet dove into the work of crafting new arrangements and was soon ready to head to the studio. 

To track the record, the band headed to Transient Sounds Studios and producer / engineer Steven Gillis (Filter, Los Lobos). “Steven really helped the band grow, particularly from a production standpoint” tells Michael. “He encouraged us to try new approaches and parts to help fully realize these songs’ potential. Things like experimenting with alternative tunings, unique drum fills and parts, and vocal arrangements.  He was amazing to work with.”

From those sessions Otter Petter is proud to bring you Cobwebs. A concise collection of undeniable earwigs, flecked with bittersweet introspection, ready to bring both joy and companionship. So, lean into the jubilant melodies and the “oohs and ahhs”… because that’s kind of what life is.