For a group plagued by major-label woes and break-ups, that was exactly what was essential for The Fold’s resilience: healing. Evolving from several Chicago-based rock outfits including Warner Brothers signees, Showoff, it seemed The Fold’s previous groups were in a place most musicians only dream of…and then things changed.
“I suppose I gave up a lot when I left a major label band to start The Fold,” explains the band’s frontman and founder, Daniel Castady, “but if I did, it was because I knew that those things were passing away.”
Not staying silent long, The Fold reached true formation as Castady rounded out the line-up of talented young musicians with a montage of Chicago’s most promising, including Aaron Green on guitar, Keith Mochel on bass and Mark Rhoades on drums. Having already established themselves in previous bands not only allowed The Fold an added maturation or sorts, but also established them with a predetermined, concise focus on what they wanted to see transpire in their future.
In June 2005, The Fold entered the studio to begin recording their ‘Tooth & Nail Records’ debut, “This Too Shall Pass” with Steven Haigler (Brand New, Quicksand, Fuel), and finished things up in Seattle with Zach Hodges (Terminal, Dead Poetic).
“Lyrically, it deals with what has been going on with me over the past few years,” Castady elaborates, “It’s hard to write that out at times, and that is why this music has been so therapeutic for me; It helps me get through these frustrations. The title of the album is one of hope,” he concludes.
Musically speaking, The Fold feel “a song is not a song unless it sounds good when it’s stripped down to its bare components.” That is why every song is recorded as a demo with just an acoustic guitar and vocals before any further sonic enhancements are ever considered. This ability – to separate the focal point from the spotlights that enhance it – is an important quality that keeps the band centered in every sense of the word.
With such an auspicious start, The Fold are poised for greatness, standing behind 14 songs of something more than a marketing ploy, but actual inspiration and honesty from real life experiences, the group of early 20-somethings have nine years of experience backing their journey, and it’s all just begun.
