Chicago indie rock and power-pop band The Transference announce the release of their debut full-length album, Floodlights, out now on Hardstop Records. Produced by Aaron Wallace, Mike Przygoda, and Laura Hollingsworth, and recorded by Taylor Hales at Electrical Audio in Chicago, the album is the fullest realisation yet of a band that has been quietly building something extraordinary — layered, lush, emotionally complex, and built for the kind of listening that rewards you every time you go back.
One critic put it best, describing the band’s sound as something that hits you before the drums even drop — “transcendent, slightly eerie, pulling you just off-kilter enough to listen harder.” That quality — the ability to create a world you want to inhabit before you’ve fully understood why — is what Floodlights delivers in full.
Floodlights is an album that operates on multiple levels simultaneously. On the surface it is immediate — melodic, rhythmically propulsive, and full of hooks that arrive before you’ve consciously noticed them. Underneath, it is an easter egg hunt. Evocative lyrics layered over pop rock rhythms, lush harmonies threading in and out, and a sonic palette that extends far beyond the standard rock lineup into pedal steel, harmonium, vibraphone, banjo, mandolin, trumpet, baritone saxophone, drum machines, and more.
Dark themes get paired with playful lines and reflections on inter- and inner-connectedness. Because, as the band puts it, if we’re going down, we might as well have some fun and love people as best we can.
The album draws inspiration from Wolf Alice, Rilo Kiley, and Metric — but the combination of Laura Hollingsworth‘s introspective songwriting, Justin Wheeler‘s melodic lead guitar, Andrea Santiago‘s harmonies, MJ Johnson‘s bass, and Alex Karan‘s drums produces something distinctly and unmistakably their own. This is not a band chasing a sound. This is a band that has found one.
The Transference began in the middle of the pandemic, born out of a handful of demo songs written by singer, songwriter, and keyboard player Laura Hollingsworth following the breakup of a previous band. With former bandmates Alex Karan and MJ Johnson at the core, and the subsequent additions of lead guitarist Justin Wheeler and vocalist Andrea Santiago, the lineup solidified into something greater than any of its parts.
They built a reputation across Chicago’s live music venues — including performances at beloved spots like The Burlington — earning the band descriptions of “brilliant” and “soul-stirring” from Chicago’s Rock Charts News, and “pioneers” in the alternative rock scene. Their debut EP 100 Mirrors introduced listeners to the band’s introspective yet anthemic sensibility and earned them a dedicated following that has only grown since.
Earlier this year, Hardstop Records — the Chicago-based independent label focused on punk, rock, and indie artists pushing creative boundaries — announced their signing of The Transference. Floodlights is the first full-length fruit of that partnership.
“We are beyond thrilled to welcome The Transference to the Hardstop family,” says Hardstop Records CEO Tom Spira. “Their ability to create emotionally resonant music is exactly what the indie rock scene needs right now.”
Band: Laura Hollingsworth — Vocals, Keyboards, Synths, Drum Machines Justin Wheeler — Guitars, Vocals, Mandolin MJ Johnson — Bass, Banjo Alex Karan — Drums Andrea Santiago — Vocals
Featuring: Mike Przygoda — Pedal Steel Guitar, Harmonium, Vibraphone, Congas, Glockenspiel, Shakers, Tambourine, Keyboards Tim Schoenrock — Trumpet (Wildfire) Tim Buechler — Baritone and Tenor Saxophone (Wildfire)
Production: Producers — Aaron Wallace, Mike Przygoda, Laura Hollingsworth Recording Engineer — Taylor Hales at Electrical Audio, Chicago, IL Additional Recording — Mike Przygoda, Chicago, IL Mixing and Mastering — Aaron Wallace, Tucson, AZ Label / Publisher — Hardstop Records, Chicago, IL
