ANCHR's Artist of the Week: Cheekface

Photo by Miriam Brummel

Everyone has heard the saying “When life hands you problems, make problemade,” right?  Well, we can thank southern California trio Cheekface for that life quote. Cheekface is a fun and amusing threesome composed of Mark Edwards, Greg Katz, and Amanda Tannen. Presently, they have 3 albums under their belt, with their most recent, Too Much to Ask, just being released this past summer.  A couple of weeks before the album was released, the band sent out postcards announcing the new album and release date, but mine must’ve gotten lost in the mail because it was a delightful surprise to me when my Spotify told me there was new Cheekface out. 

Cheekface, personally, sounds like if Cake, Gustaf, and Mitch Hedberg had a love triangle that birthed a musical, lyrical, and jocular progeny.  Cheekface's songs are a cocktail of jokes, fun, wit, and melody that touch on subjects ranging from politics to instances when life just kicks you in the nads. 

I haven’t gotten the chance to see them live yet, but I’m hoping the stars align so that I can attend their TNK Fest show at Lincoln Hall on January 19.  Cheekface will be treating the Chicago audience to special edition merch and they will even be playing their Too Much to Ask album front to back. You can grab your tickets to catch their show in Chicago tomorrow here, and follow them for more updates.

ANCHR's Artist of the Day: Cheekface

What would happen if our government was overthrown in favor of an anarchist utopia? The “green juice” at 7-11 would be free. Or at least that’s what we can gather from Cheekface’s ‘Dry Heat/Nice Town’. The track was written after co-writers Greg Katz and Amanda Tannen attended a Women’s March and takes a sardonic approach to our dystopian present. Where many bands might fail in discussing politics, creating something overtly dark or ham-fisted, Cheekface’s approach is bright and witty. If anything the trio are charming, Katz deadpanning his way through their 2019 album Therapy Island. Think if Lou Reed had a pop-y jaunt and a fear of late stage capitalism. Cheerful as ever the band list everything that is Cancelled™ (eyesight, memory, feelings, and Chipotle) on ‘Eternity Leave’ and give an anthem to the hand-wringers and over-apologizers of the world on ‘I Only Say I’m Sorry When I’m Wrong Now’. With Tannen’s steady yet upbeat bass lines and Mark Edwards’ bobbing drums the band are somehow impossibly catchy and incredibly anxious. Cheekface are cockeyed narrators, clever observers taking note of all things tragic and absurd.

Listen to “Glendale” and “Dry Heat/Nice Town” below, and keep up with Cheekface on Instagram.