New Constellations got us Hot blooded in chicago

New Constellations (L to R: Josh, Harlee, Kyle) posing with the crowd after their set

Last week New Constellations performed two highly anticipated sold out shows at Schubas Tavern in Chicago. I had the privilege of being able to shoot the late night set.

New Constellations is the ethereal brainchild of childhood best friends Harlee Case (vocals, keyboard , guitar) and Josh Smith (guitar, keyboard), with their recent addition of Kyle Farook (bass, keyboard). 

During the set, Harlee briefly talked about how far her and Josh go back. So far that they’ve been friends for roughly two decades, starting their musical journeys as teenagers, which eventually became New Constellations. Harlee had mentioned when she first saw Josh she thought he was so cool and immediately wanted to befriend him. Rumor has it Josh inspired Harlee to start playing guitar. 

Their music cannot be put into a specific genre box. Like their performances, their music is an experience to be felt. The vibe was chill. Danceable with the crowd singing back lyrics to songs of theirs such as “Hot Blooded” and “Think it Over”. 

New Constellations performing “Think it Over”

After their set, I was even more fortunate to get to talk, plus hang out with Harlee and Josh for a few hours, which honestly was some of the best few hours of my life so far. We bent each other’s ears about our lives, joked around, even letting me take the aux. Josh, musician turned uber driver let me in on some of the band’s upcoming projects, including stuff from their debut album. Which if you love some heaviness in your ethereal indie pop latte, there will definitely be energizing shots of espresso to be found in their brew of a new album. 

We parted ways after a fun late night together, but out of it I’ve definitely gained some friends who I’m proud to call such. Thank you to Harlee, Josh and Kyle for adopting me as a part of your fun, creative family. 

Although unannounced, you can definitely expect New Constellations to be on the horizon within the year with many exciting projects in the works.