Neptune’s Core Represents Next Generation Of Chicago Art Rock

Neptune’s Core have been gigging long enough that the members are now balancing house shows with Chicago stages where their favorite musicians have played — even though all the band members are still teenagers.

In August, the North Center quartet headlined the Metro, 3733 N. Clark St., to celebrate the release of their “Called Upon” EP. They will return Friday to open for their friends in Friko, playing songs from “Called Upon” and their upcoming single, “Box/Anyway.”

In the five years since it formed, the band has played the Empty Bottle, Subterranean and Schubas, and it has earned praise from local critics like “Sound Opinions'” Jim DeRogatis.

The band members said the hardest part of the show will be enjoying it in the moment.

“We don’t want to focus on the logistics of what we’re playing; we just want to have that in our bodies, flowing out of us, to just focus on having fun and dancing and connecting with the audience,” singer and guitarist Jacqueline Cywinski said.

Neptune’s Core consists of two sets of sisters: Kaitlin Cywinski (18, drums) and Jacqueline Cywinski (16, guitar/vocals), and Sofie Richter (17, guitar/vocals) and Hannah Richter (15, bass).

Each dabbled in music from an early age via vocal lessons, school groups and YouTube tutorials, and they formed a group for fun that soon evolved from playing block parties and open mic slots to clubs and neighborhood fests. Playing Schubas was particularly significant, as that’s where Kaitlin and Jacqueline’s parents met.

Neptune’s Core evokes emotional murkiness with shifting song structures and leaps from quiet to loud and back again, reminiscent of Mitski or Bully. “Inside” begins with a gentle pulse and Richter crooning at the bottom of her range, but at the song’s climax, vocal harmonies and guitar squeals strike like lightning on a stormy sea. On “Mermaid Song,” their most popular song on Spotify, they conjure a vivid underwater scene in a moody, two-minute instrumental. 

As bandmates, classmates and family members, the girls spend a lot of time together. The band members have joked that their familial connection has led to a telepathic connection for songwriting. They’ve developed routines over time, like instituting a “no snacks during band time” rule and renting practice spaces beyond the Cywinski family basement to lock in for rehearsal and writing.

They also make sure to maintain their friendship outside of the band.

“The other weekend, we had a sleepover together, watched a movie, ate snacks. Someone at one point looked at their phone and said, ‘We have a new Neptune’s Core email,’ and the rest of said, ‘No, this is our friends time!’” Kaitlin said. “We also make sure to spend time apart so we don’t drive each other up the walls.”

The group’s history with headliner Friko dates back to a show at Martyr’s four years ago up to a recent house show in Urbana, so they’re happy to see their peers enjoying an acclaimed debut album. Frontman Niko Kapetan plans to join them onstage at the upcoming release show.

“It feels really cool when you’re a genuine fan of the band but then we also get to play with them,” Kaitlin said. “We would have been at the show either way.”

Neptune’s Core’s members credit Chicago artists for inspiration, particularly the eclectic bands and musicians that emerged in the past decade. They shout out Spencer Tweedy and members of Twin Peaks for their array of styles and side projects.

The band cites opening for rock trio Dehd in December 2022 as a pivotal moment.

Playing that show was such a big moment for us, and they’ve been one of our favorite bands for so long, so getting to play that was very fulfilling, and it changed how we view music and we realized that we wanted to take this more seriously,” Hannah said.

Sofie gushes about art rock duo Finom (FKA Ohmme).

“They do such unconventional stuff, but they make it so appealing and cathartic,” Sofie said. “I love the people they are and how supportive they are. I think they’re the perfect embodiment of the Chicago music scene.”

Chicago’s more established musicians have embraced the band in kind.

“The power of the voices in Neptune’s Core combined with their songwriting, arranging skills and confident live performance gives me hope for the future. I remember seeing them for the first time with Sima and feeling starry-eyed about what we were witnessing,” Finom’s Macie Stewart said via email.

Stewart’s bandmate, Sima Cunningham, added, “The new music is even more adventurous. They’re not afraid to evolve and go for it and I love that.”

In addition to workshopping songs for a future EP or album, the band has a few shows planned for the spring, including its showcase at Austin’s South By Southwest. That’s a milestone for any buzzy young band, with the added wrinkle that the high schoolers will have to arrange to miss classers for shows for the first time.

Even as the members of Neptune’s Core learn to balance music, the business, school and everything else, they’re excited to hit the road together.

“Other musicians are always saying to keep at it, which is a warning that it is hard to be a musician,” Sofie said. “But it’s really motivational because they’re still doing it, so we can too.”

Originally published on Block Club Chicago.