Earlier this year, Chicago’s own Ratboys shared Singin’ to an Empty Chair, their grandly acclaimed sixth studio album. Composed of singer and songwriter Julia Steiner, guitarist Dave Sagan, bassist Sean Neumann, and drummer Marcus Nuccio, Empty Chair wields textures underneath each sonic strain as Ratboys dig into these bruised but deliberate songs, rediscovering value in the language of music and the meaningful connections that come out of it.
Back in February, Ratboys hit the road for 8 weeks, taking along Chicago’s Andy “Red” PK on pedal steel, to share their rock n roll goodness all across the country.
We gave Raboys a camera to take on tour. Here is what they sent back.
Listen to Singin’ to an Empty Chair out everywhere now. Snag a copy on vinyl, CD or cassette via New West Records.
Written by Shea Roney | Photos by Averi Love Little and Breaden Long |Video by Amaya Peña
“Two cars and two bands, with long drives and a new party each night. Watching a songbook change form each night and get tired by morning. Memory Card and Kitship’s big road trip.”
At the beginning of December 2025, Chicago’s own Kitship and Memory Card went on a two-week Midwest and Southern tour. The two bands consisted of 8 friends and longtime collaborators; Amaya Peña, Seamus Moore, Averi Love Little, Braeden Long and Nate Wolf as the Kitship band, and Henry Tart, Nathan McMurray, David Tierney and Seamus Moore (once again) as Memory Card.
Kitship is the project of Amaya Peña, whose songwriting thrives in open spaces; rearing with both the endless possibilities that it offers, as well as the reflective solitude of being left out to shiver for too long. Earlier this month Peña released the lights are out, a collection of songs originally demoed in Alaska back in 2025, now being shared again with hopes of more music on its way. Upon layered guitars and Peña’s voice as a reflection point, emphasizing both presence and perspective, these songs are just as lasting as the bits of yourself you can look back on with both a laugh and a sigh.
Memory Card is Henry Tart’s place to be fully enveloped in his own little world; pencil etches and eraser streaks sketch a growing catalog of enduring sentiments and melodically enriched lo-fi swooners. Upon the release of his latest full-length album, 2023’s As the Deer, Tart embraced more broken structures; where tension and intuition link arms and sincerity break the hold, beautifully capturing that triumphant feeling of making it through another rough day while still looking forward to whatever is next. Keep an eye out for new music from Memory Card very very soon.
Look through our latest tour diary with Kitship and Memory Card, documented with photos and videos by Averi Love Little and Braeden Long, as well as a mix tape made with love from each band.
Memory Card, State Street Pub, Indianapolis, IN / Braeden LongNate, Indianapolis, IN / Braeden LongIn Kellen’s Basement, Indianapolis, IN / Braeden Long Amaya, Cincinnati, OH / Braeden LongBraeden Long + Nate Wolf, Cincinnati, OH / Averi Love LittleWorld’s Greatest, Cincinnati, OH / Braeden LongNate, Cincinnati, OH / Braeden LongFeel It Records, Cincinnati, OH / Braeden LongHenry Tart + Nathan McMurray, Cincinnati, OH / Averi Love LittleSeamus Moore at Bluejay Diner, Cincinnati, OH / Averi Love LittleMemory Card at Pilot Light, Knoxville, TN / Averi Love LittleAmaya Peña, Nate Wolf + Galli at Pilot Light, Knoxville, TN / Averi Love LittleCarrboro, NC / Braeden LongMemory Card, Carrboro, NC / Braeden LongShrudd, Carrboro, NC / Braeden LongSHURDD in Carborro, NC / Averi Love LittleBraeden Long + Henry Tart, Durham, NC / Averi Love LittleMemory Card, Asheville, NC / Braeden LongBackyard show, Charlotte, NC / Braeden LongMerch table, Charlotte, NC / Braeden LongMemory Card, Birmingham, AL / Braeden LongLivingston, AL / Braeden LongLouisville, KY / Braeden LongLouisville, KY / Braeden LongAmaya Peña + Nate Wolf, Louisville, KY / Averi Love LittleMemory Card in Louisville, KY / Averi Love LittlePARKiNG, Louisville, KY / Averi Love LittleBraden Long at Lowdown, Chicago, IL / Averi Love LittleMemory Card, Chicago, IL / Braeden Long
Video Documentation by Amaya Peña
Memory Card – Hurricane Live in Cincinnati, OH filmed by Averi Love LittleMixtape by Kitship / Graphic by Averi Love Little| LISTEN HEREMixtape by Memory Card / Graphic by Averi Love Little| LISTEN HERE
Kitship is about to hit the road with Chaepter on another tour starting on February 24th in St. Louis. Listen to the lights are out now.
Catch Memory Card playing around town, as well as read Henry’s blog, summerfunmusic. Listen to Memory Card’s whole catalog now.
This past summer, Chicago’s own Girly Pants and Rain Garden went on a 9 date Midwest to East Coast run which they called the Girl of the Garden Tour. We gave them a camera to take on the road and document their first big tour. This is what we got back.
Girly Pants, fronted by songwriter Sabreen Alfadel, is a project that has become interchangeable with both her growth as a musician and as an individual. Girly Pants as a band, consisting of friends Luigi De Col [drums], Drew Emerson [bass] and Carter Ward [guitar], craft steady tracks amongst swooning guitar lines and invigorating rhythms, where Sabreen’s vocals become a point of reflection, wielding both strength and tenderness with each melody and line she performs.
Rain Garden’s instinctive and dynamic sound is one that lingers with every performance. Fronted by Miranda Dianovsky [guitar, vox], whose vocals conduct each track with such power and sincerity, Rain Garden finds its special place due to each member’s unique style. Consisting of Harley Reid [bass], Maya Halko [guitar] and Vincent Byas [drums], Rain Garden lives for their pacing, one behind the gives and takes of our day-to-day actions, throwing caution to the wind as we relish in that invincibility we feel in the moment.
The tour was part of a 6-month logistics amalgamation, spearheaded by Sabreen and Miranda. With some inspiration from their collective band names, Girl of the Garden was in reference to the cult classic TV show King of the Hill, which was a theme throughout the tour, including the limited-edition shirt of the two bands drawn in the cartoon’s likeness, as well as the theme song interluding some Girly Pants sets.
As memorable as a first big tour can be, Girl of the Garden did not follow typical touring guidelines. “Every show was unique,” Sabreen shares. “Some of the venues included a festival in the woods, a vintage clothing store, a basement, a record store and a Mexican restaurant. Very DIY and awesome.” At the end, “Becoming closer as friends and collaborators with girly pants was one of the most rewarding aspects of this tour,” Miranda says. “I think we all feel truly grateful that we embarked on this together”
Rain Garden recently released their latest EP Aconite which you can listen to now.
Girly Pants is currently working on new music, but in the meantime, you can listen to their debut EP Nurture now.
the ugly hug 