Bio
A melodic mix of jangling, Kiwi-inspired indie rock, '90s slacker, and vintage U.K. pop influences, Chicago's Clearance had already been making noise in the Windy City for a couple of years before their 2015 debut, Rapid Rewards, won them national acclaim. After signing on with Topshelf Records, they returned in 2018 with the more focused At Your Leisure.Formed in 2013 by singer/guitarist Mike Bellis and drummer Arthur Velez, Clearance began as a home-recording project before morphing into a full-on band with the addition of guitarist Kevin Fairbairn and bassist Greg Obis. With a handful of D.I.Y. 7" and cassette releases under their belts, the quartet issued their full-length debut, Rapid Rewards, in 2015, effectively entering themselves onto the national stage. Their mix of melodic, jangling guitar pop and chunky slacker rock earned critical accolades, and they soon signed a deal with West Coast indie Topshelf Records. Working with Chicago's Dave Vettraino (Melkbelly, NE-HI), Clearance first issued the 2016 independent single "Are You Aware" b/w "Owner/Operator," followed in 2018 by their Topshelf debut, At Your Leisure, which introduced both a more streamlined approach and traces of U.K. psych-pop into their sound. ~ Timothy Monger
