The Symposium sounds like the exact moment the sun goes down in a midwestern city, where the air is still warm but the shadows are getting long. Their music is built on a foundation of incredibly tight, interlocking guitar parts that owe a debt to early 2000s New York rock, but they filter that precision through a hazy, psychedelic lens that feels more relaxed and suburban. It is music that manages to be technically sharp while maintaining a slacker-rock nonchalance.
What truly sets them apart is the vocal delivery of Charlie Gammill, which often feels like a half-whispered confidence shared over a beer. There is a specific tension between the driving, almost motorik rhythm section and the shimmering, chorus-heavy guitar textures that creates a sense of perpetual motion. It is music for people who find comfort in urban ennui and the quiet drama of everyday life.
New listeners should dive into their 2014 album Drugs to hear their rawest, most energetic garage-rock roots. From there, move to their self-titled 2017 record to hear how they integrated synthesizers and more expansive, dreamy atmospheres into their sound without losing their signature melodic bite.
The Symposium is an indie rock band from Chicago, Illinois. The group consists of Charlie Gammill (guitar, vocals), Sam Clancy (guitar, keyboard), MJ Tirabassi (guitar, bass), Josh Goméz (drums) and Benny Goetz (bass). The band is influenced by and has been compared to The Strokes, Mac DeMarco and Ty Segall among others.
Shares indie rock, garage rock, psychedelic rock (subgenres); restless, wistful, playful (moods)
Shares urban night, basement show, road trip (atmosphere); indie rock, art rock, garage rock (subgenres)
Shares indie rock, garage rock, psychedelic rock (subgenres); lo fi, analog warmth, tape saturation (production style)
Shares indie rock, psychedelic rock, garage rock (subgenres); urban night, basement show, dive bar (atmosphere)
Shares indie rock, garage rock, psychedelic rock (subgenres); urban night, basement show, road trip (atmosphere)
Shares lo fi, analog warmth, dry intimate (production style); psychedelic rock, garage rock, art rock (subgenres)
Shares indie rock, garage rock (subgenres); lo fi, analog warmth, dry intimate (production style)
Shares restless, wistful, playful (moods); indie rock, psychedelic rock, art rock (subgenres)
Shares garage rock, psychedelic rock, indie rock (subgenres); restless, wistful, playful (moods)
Shares tight motorik drumming, deadpan, garage rock, electric guitar (detail)
Cassette uses generative AI to enrich its catalog. How we use AI →