Modern Vices at the Litter Box

A three-tiered porch landing reminiscent of the classic Globe Theatre, Litterbox is a modern day Shakespearean romance venue for the up and coming wanderers and seekers. Walking into a familiar Chicago apartment, one finds that there’s no bad seat in the house. LB is a place to experience a fresh perspective of grassroots rock n’ roll where the acoustics bounce back from the friendly neighborhood brick that is Logan Square.

Covering for a friend out of town, I sink into the living room couch that is the Litterbox green room. Pink faded light with a bucket of beer in the corner and Alex Rebek, alone and content, makes eye contact–I ask him if he wants to have a few words.

Alex Rebek and Peter Scoville of Modern Vices talk about their journey in releasing their record after five years of silence with Alicia McDermott.

Scoville: It’s a cleansing in a way. It’s funny that this is what people are going to hear after five years. It’s just so much…both personal and for the band.

Rebek: What we are putting out in October, we could have put out two years ago.

McDermott: So, this is a coming of age album? How have things evolved?

Rebek: We’ve grown up a lot. When we put out the first record we were all 18,19 years old. We had a lot of personal growth especially with how we see the band. It’s a lot more realistic.

Scoville: When we first started, Autumn Tone picked up the album right when we finished making it and we hadn’t even played a live show yet. We felt like we made it without really doing anything. All this time has really put things into perspective in a good way.

Rebek: We recorded an album and threw it away.

Scoville: It was garbage. It was bad music.

McDermott: Did recording in Nashville shape your sound in any way?

Scoville: 100%. Our first two songs were recorded in Nashville and it changed our process in the studio and shifted our way of songwriting.

McDermott: Now that this cleanse is done, what’s on the horizon?

Rebek: We already have new stuff.

Scoville: Everything has brought us to this point and we had to go through it. Just a lot of shit has gone down with us. Finally, we’re gonna put something out.