For the Love of Music
The past two years have been challenging for the music industry. Barrington native Pat McKillen, a singer-songwriter, turned to virtual performances during the pandemic. “Pat Plays” was an online series featuring covers of bands McKillen says embody a communal spirit, such as Taylor Swift, Bruce Springsteen, Coldplay and Fleetwood Mac.
McKillen’s favorite local venue, SPACE in Evanston, "...was impacted [by the pandemic] just like the rest of the industry, but they’re always thinking on their feet,” he said. “I worked with [SPACE] a lot to bring small and private concerts to people’s front yards during the pandemic. They’ve always provided a great space for artists, making the best of what we’re dealt,” he says.
For a rising star in the music game, it’s all about playing for the right people, not the most people. McKillen’s favorite performances are in front of crowds with 25 to 100 people tops — an audience that can truly connect with the lyrics and emotion of his original songs. “I’m never, from a songwriter standpoint, going to be your dance artist,” McKillen says, laughing. “My songs are about unpacking questions that I have in my head, and I hope that people can relate to the songs, relate to the questions.”
Of all venues McKillen has played, RockWood Music Hall in New York City is the place he loves most. Home to three stages, hosting several artists on a given night, the smallest stage is set in the basement and has a maximum capacity of 55 patrons. “The energy when I play in that room is always amazing,” McKillen says. “That’s something I want on a nightly basis… that would be making it for me.”
McKillen has noticed a shift in the way people consume music. Six weeks into global lockdown, Spotify streams of the world’s top hits were down by 11%. Streaming drops of this magnitude are typically seen the week after Christmas. The “new normal” made it seemingly impossible to generate listeners’ interest, especially since bars that would typically play recorded music shut down.
Perhaps influenced by the pandemic, the video-streaming app TikTok became the hub for millions of short clips backed by music. Several entertainers have earned their claim-to-fame through TikTok, but the follower count doesn’t always equate to authentic connections. Most emerging artists find social media efforts troubling. McKillen says, “[Social media] has always just felt superficial to me. The only things that really stick are legitimately genuine. Social media drives expectations of what format [of music] someone will stick with,” McKillen says. “First people would listen to full albums, then it was singles, and now it’s asking can we get them to listen to 15-second clips.”
Eventually, he wants to tour and explore different cities. Chicago is homebase but McKillen still visits the suburbs once a week to clear his head: “I’ll always have a home here,” he says.
Prior to the pandemic, McKillen took any opportunity to perform and play music. He spent seven years in a wedding band, Gold Coast Allstars, and played three events every weekend, with solo gigs during the week.
When the pandemic hit in 2020 and shut down all live music, the primary source of income for the majority of working musicians dried up. Small artists around Chicago often play in wedding/event bands to make a living, just as emerging musicians based in places like Nashville often play in bars for the income and exposure. “It’s not for lack of talent … [Chicago] hasn’t found that cultural shift to make [music] a part of our ecosystem,” McKillen says. “Whereas in New York, people will stroll in for a show and a drink. [Live music] is a big part of their nightlife and culture — I love that feeling.”
Following a year in which he released 15 songs, in 2021 McKillen felt he needed a change. This time, he collaborated with Gold Coast Allstars member and Fort Knox Studios owner Dan Mahoney to produce a three-track EP titled “nowhere, illinois.”
“I took myself out of the comfort zone of literally my bedroom, where I’ve recorded everything else,” McKillen says. “I love having my hands all up in that pot to experiment. I know the sounds I want in my head, and I don’t always know how to make them, but eventually I’ll find them.”
On the standout track “nowhere, illinois,” McKillen paints a nostalgic picture, searching for anything comfortable in a world that has been anything but normal. The song explores relatable experiences of growing up in the suburbs and wanting to make it outside of your hometown. “Sometimes, the thing you thought you wanted to get away from the most is where you needed to [go] back to,” he says.
