Love? said the Commander is a duo from the ‘PhilaJersey’ area that embraces maximal minimalism in order to create slow burning cinematic emo that’ll make ya feel stuff. Kate Hall met Chris Bishop on Craigslist in the winter of 2018 and the pair have been writing, recording, and performing together ever since.
In their time as a band, Love? said the Commander has released one album, six EPs, and several singles and played hundreds of live performances throughout the Northeast. Their fourth EP, 'Bones,' was recorded live in one day with one microphone at the Wayne County Court House in Honesdale, PA. The process of recording 'Bones' inspired the duo to explore more live recordings, which resulted in their fifth release, 'In the Kitchen.' Its six songs were recorded live in Kate’s kitchen over the course of one humid September day. Each track features the ambient noises of a suburban Jersey neighborhood, including cars, planes, birds, bugs, and people. Next came ‘Breathing Room,’ an instrumental EP composed of four songs recorded live with just piano and guitar. It was written for Kate's one-year old nephew to fall asleep to, and to provide an extra calming effect, a recording of the Market-Frankford train in Philadelphia was looped throughout. After ‘Breathing Room,’ the duo put out a few more singles (including a not so happy Christmas song) before releasing their debut album, ‘Cast Away,’ in the summer of 2024. ‘Cast Away’ was recorded at the Jersey Shore (where Kate spent so much time growing up), and its nine songs reflect what the pair had been through and grown into, both personally and as a band, since they met in 2018. Just prior to the release of 'Cast Away,' they were selected as a winner for the 2024 WNYC Public Song Project and performed their entry song, 'Bed in Summer,' at the Lincoln Center in NYC. Kate and Chris also love film and making videos so at the beginning of 2023, they began a monthly video series on YouTube called ‘Spaces,’ where they record songs live in unique or interesting settings (one highlight is an episode where Kate gets a tattoo whilst singing and playing piano).
What folks have said about the music of L?STC . . .
“L?STC combines Kate Hall’s powerful vocals and lyricism with Chris Bishop’s intricate, dynamic guitars to create something truly inspired . . . The best musical duos work so tightly in sync that each partner’s contributions are inextricably tied to the other. This is what Love? said the Commander achieves with its fluid back-and-forth between Hall’s vocal work and Bishop’s guitar lines.” ~ Melannie Jay at WXPN
“Beautiful, transportive songs . . . that take you aloft and away with little more than guitar, strings, and . . . compelling singing . . .” ~ John Vettese at WXPN
“A singer-songwriter tone, with a sense of friction and force that expands in fiery, focused instrumental runs, [L?STC] leaves a cathartic imprint.” ~ The Deli Magazine