Office of Future Plans was never supposed to be a band, yet destiny planned otherwise.
J. Robbins (guitar/vocals), Darren Zentek (drums), Brooks Harlan (bass/vocals), and Gordon Withers (cello/ guitar) are all well-established, far from the days of buying a van and going on tour for months at a time. Family comes first for these fellas, which makes a perfect fit for the band and Dischord Records, a label that supports their family-oriented lifestyle, releasing their self-titled debut album in 2011.
Withers told us, “Office of Future Plans has reached what is success, at least for us. We are excited to still do music we love, but we are also full-time husbands and fathers. We all did long tours when we were younger, but that isn’t something any of us desire anymore. Dischord has been amazing to work with; I couldn’t imagine a better fit for us.”
As the band does not tour much, be sure to check them out this Friday at the Black Cat for their album release party with Kepone and Daria. Other tour dates include March 9 at The Fire in Philadelphia and March 10 at Strange Matter in Richmond.
Last year, Office of Future Plans teamed up with the French band Daria to produce a 7” that will be out in April on Lovitt Records. You will have a chance to buy it in person at their upcoming shows, but today we are giving you a chance to win a copy.
The 7″ contains two new originals from each band, but there are four digital bonus tracks as well: two of each band covering the other, and two other covers in honor of the late producer Iain Burgess. OFP covers Rifle Sport’s “24 Doors,” and Daria covers Leatherface’s “I Want The Moon.” Both Rifle Sport and Leatherface were favorites of Iain’s.
TRACKLIST:
OFFICE OF FUTURE PLANS
Solipsist (New, Original)
The English Cloud (Daria cover)
24 Doors (Rifle Sport cover)
DARIA:
As The Dust Settles (New, Original)
Dumb It Down (Office of Future Plans cover)
I Want The Moon (Leatherface cover)
The friendship between OFP and Daria partially rests on shared experiences, both having worked with producer Iain Burgess. Burgess recorded Jawbox’s Novelty, and Daria worked with him as well after Burgess moved to France in the ’90s. The idea for the 7″ + EP came about as a tribute to Iain’s work and his role in shaping the “Chicago Sound” of the ’90s, which went on to influence Steve Albini and much guitar-based, indie rock.
In 2012, Daria and OFP finally met in person while playing the Sant Feliu Fest in Spain, and a plan was hatched to complete the 7″ + EP and play some shows together in the US. The great ’90s powerhouse band Kepone also played Sant Feliu, and now all three bands are playing three shows together this coming weekend in a celebration of music and friendship. Daria will continue on to SXSW, where their hometown of Angers, France, has a showcase.
For your chance to win a copy of the Office of Future Plans/ Daria split 7”, tell us which Dischord artist’s live show over the years was the most memorable. One winner with a North American mailing address will be chosen at noon on Wednesday, March 13.
