Album Notes

First Coat is a four piece from Chicago.

First Coat evolved from their acoustic folk origins as a previous, South Side incarnation called Drexel. The lineup was expanded; bass and drums were added. They began to use electric guitars and sythesizers. They self-released their debut under the First Coat name: Great Lakes Disorder, a kaleidoscopic trip through American rock, folk, and alt-country, culminating in a spacey instrumental.

Increasingly rock-leaning, First Coat refocussed their sound around a coherent group of new songs. The result is Move Like Sparrows, a collection of bittersweet reflections.

The thoughtful and expertly crafted acoustic-based songwriting of front man Conor Loughridge mixes with bold electric guitar and dynamic, driving rhythms to create a wonderfully catchy yet sonically deep sound.

First Coat has been featured live on Chicago radio stations WBEZ, WHPK, and WLUW. Tracks from this Move Like Sparrows have been played on such radio stations as (among others) WXRT, WHPK, and WLUW Chicago, KILA Los Angeles, WPRB Princeton, New Jersey, WRCT Pittsburgh, KSWI Atlantic, Iowa, and KZSU Stanford, California. Tracks have been webcast by such internet-onlies as radiocrystalblue.com and woxy.com.

(On this CD) First Coat is:
Paul Brannon - drums
William Long - guitar, vocals
Conor Loughridge - vocals, guitar, wurlitzer, piano, synth
Sean Mahan - bass, organ, synth


On this CD, the band is joined by Deirdre Kelly on cello.

The CD:

engineered and mixed by scott adamson at semaphore in Chicago. september 2004 and october/november 2004.

mastered by jim wilson at yes mastering.

songs by conor loughridge.

artwork by gabe mcelwain.