For some, becoming a rock star is merely a childhood dream. However, South freshmen Olivia (Livy) Eigel, Madison (Madi) O’Brien and Noreen (Nonie) Andersen have taken their vision to the next level by pursuing their musical talents through their band Purple Apple.
The girls once made a commitment to keep their dream alive and eight years later, they have reached the big stage. The girls’ journey began at age six, with no idea of how far their band would eventually go.
“We have all been really close friends for the longest time,” Eigel said. “[…] We started writing when we were about six, [and] we just decided to start a little band.”
The band was originally comprised of Eigel as singer-songwriter, Andersen on guitar and O’Brien on bass guitar and keyboard. When the band got more serious, they turned to Devin Ulery, Eigel’s younger siblings’ babysitter, an already experienced drummer, to keep the beat.
Purple Apple has performed at various Chicago venues. Their highlight was at Chicago’s legendary rock venue, The Metro, when in 2010, they became the youngest band to ever headline there.
Other major shows include multiple performances at Hide Out, a small venue in Bucktown in Chicago, and a concert at a Lollapalooza after party.
The group calls themselves Purple Apple in honor of their favorite band, The Beatles, who recorded at a studio called Apple Records. They all love the color purple and felt those two words fit well together.
The band began their journey in Eigel’s uncle’s studio, which he had set up in his house. According to Andersen, the first song they recorded there -was “Life as It Is.”
“[After] we did that, they noticed something, like, a spark of talent or whatever,” Andersen said. “[…] Since then, we picked up a manager and it just grew.”
The group graduated to recording in their current studio, Shirk, in Chicago. Though the girls describe the studio as being very non-hectic and relaxed, there are a lot of long days. It usually takes eight hours to produce a full song.
Purple Apple’s composing method is a reflection of their laid-back approach to music. The members agree that their productions happen spontaneously.
“There is no process for writing [our songs],” Andersen said. “[…] We just lay it out however the music comes to us. Sometimes the music comes first, sometimes the lyrics come first, or sometimes, they come together.”
According to Ulery, their music is a mixture of all the members and that is what makes performing so great.
“We all have a clear style and when we put it together, that’s the style we create,” Ulery said.
As Purple Apple’s audience grew, they faced adversity in the competitive music industry. O’Brien says they’ve learned to behave more like adults.
“We’ve been rejected before by record labels, and we’ve been turned down,” O’Brien said. “[…]It’s discouraging […] After that, it was really hard getting back, but you have to do it. You can’t just stop.”
The group actually views rejection as progressive and strengthening.
“After we got rejected this one time, we went out to celebrate,” Andersen said. “You know, ‘Yay for rejection!’ It taught us one more thing about life.”
Junior Mackenzie O’Brien, Madi’s older sister, believes that Purple Apple will have a lot of success at South.
“With all of the hard work and dedication they put into every song and performance, there is no doubt in my mind that they will do very well as a band at South,” Mackenzie said.
Ulery emphasizes that their laid-back attitude is what essentially allows them to maximize their enjoyment of the experience.
“We seem to just stay in the moment,” Ulery said. “We don’t look too far ahead, maybe just a few months. That’s pretty much how we are. That’s really all you need, though.”
For samples of their music and information about the band, visit purpleapplemusic.com.
