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• The Palace Flophouse

Since banding together as a fivesome in late August, the Champaign-Urbana based The Palace Flophouse has been ready to hit the road with some good tunes and the open sky. After the release of their new album Try Not to Get Worried, a mini-tour around Illinois and a recent show at the Canopy Club, vocalist, songwriter and guitarist Bradley Bergstrand and company keep on rocking.

buzz: The Palace Flophouse came together quite recently. Can you tell us the story behind your start?

Bradley Bergstrand: It was kind of a gradual process, but I think being a group of five is really nice. It gives [the act] a kind of balance, you know? So, The Palace Flophouse started out with me as a solo songwriting act on the guitar, but we got new members as we went on. They were people who I knew from growing up or people from other groups who I had already played with. We make a good group, and we get along really well. It’s a full-time project.

buzz: Your band name is rather unique. What inspired it?

BB: Our name was actually inspired by John Steinbeck’s Cannery Row. It basically refers to the images of crumbling, makeshift housing and all those loveable, generative characters living there. They each represent the overlooked good in people, and I guess we try to emulate that idea through our music.

buzz: What is your sound like? How did you develop it?

BB: I would describe our sound as folk-rock. It’s mainly based on the acoustic guitar, but don’t get me wrong, we definitely have an edge ­— especially with our drummer who is pretty aggressive. Each added member has brought their own thing to our music too, so it’s interesting. We definitely focus on having pretty harmonies, but there is just enough aggression to make it fun.

buzz: What are some of the influences behind your newly released Try Not to Get Worried?

BB: Well, I can’t speak for everyone in the group since we all had different influences behind our music. For me, I was listening to a lot of The Mountain Goats and some older stuff like Paul Simon and Harry Nilsson.

buzz: How has touring been for the group?

BB: We haven’t gone on a “real” tour yet, I guess you might say, but for all of last week we went on a micro-tour around Illinois and played on a bunch of local gigs. It has been really interesting and we’ve had a really good turnout. We sold more CDs than expected. I think we’re feeling really good about performing live, so in every new show our sound is tightened up. It is awesome to play with groups like World’s First Flying Machine and just spread the word, get our own name

out there.

buzz: What does the band have in store for the future?

BB: We plan to go on a few more micro-tours, maybe, extended outings in mid-to-late spring. I would love to tour anywhere in the country really, but most heavily on the East coast. I think leaving the country and playing would be a dream come true for all of us.

Catch The Palace Flophouse at Mike ‘n’ Molly’s on Friday, Nov. 20 with Prussia and Ohtis.