专辑简介

In 2004, as Chicago's poppy punk band Reagan National Crash Diet was puttering towards an inevitable implosion after a raucous four years, singer/guitarist Chris Auman immediately decided to form a new band. A name was chosen. A domain name was secured. Stickers and buttons were produced. And only then was the band was formed. Chris enlisted fellow RNCD vet Carol Bales to join on bass and the duo practiced in Chris's kitchen in Logan Square until finally securing a practice space and a drummer in one Perry Finch, ex of Vambo Marble Eye (and half of the folksy crooners, The Finches). The new Soft Targets trio was short lived as the long, arduous bus ride to Rogers Park--on the city's far north side--proved to be unbearable for Bales. The group was again reduced to a duo until early '05 with the arrival of Tina Finch, wife of Perry and ex of 90s underground quirky pop weirdos, Smitten (and the other half of the folksy crooners, The Finches). This new trio managed to debut at an outdoor neighborhood block party and play an actual gig at an actual bar. In attendance at the aforementioned gig-at-a-bar was Reg Shrader, guitarist in another band on the bill that night (also in the audience that night was future Soft Targets bassist, Dan Kiss, Public Defender, but we'll get to that). Detecting perhaps the groups need for a second guitar player, Shrader offered his services and considerable experience, having been a member of Circus Lupus during that groups Madison tenure as well as a member of Seam for the recording of that bands two Touch & Go classics, "Are You Driving Me Crazy" and "The Pace is Galacial".

This line-up existed for scant weeks until Tina, becoming pregnant, reluctantly handed off the bass to Tim Davison, guitarist in the Clerics (also on RoosterCow Records--buy their sh*t!) and ex member of Cincinnati's wonderful Fairmount Girls. Finally, a solid line-up! More shows, a new practice space in West Town, the recording of their first RoosterCow single "(Let it) Ricochet" b/w "Straight Line" at Semaphore. But alas, grad school and new fatherly duties side-lined drummer Perry Finch. An ad is placed in the Chicago Reader classifieds, it is answered by a half dozen or so freaks (including a sixteen year old who assures the band that his drum instructor says its legal for him to perform in bars). Dave Potter, ex of Lustre King, is chosen, despite the fact that he lies about his age for some unknown reason. Soft Targets Mach Five is in action. More shows follow as well as the recording of the five song "Whatever Happened to Soft Targets?" EP at Electrical Studios. Late 2005, Davison, pressed for time as it is, departs amicably, opening the door for Dan Kiss, former Public Defender (not a band) to join, thus establishing the most consistent line-up to date and the band that would record their twelve-song debut, "We Hate You Soft Targets!" at O.G.D.M.U. in Logan Square, again with engineer, Kris Poulin.