Hail to the Chief

Superchief released its album “Trophy Room” last year. With Kevin Neal at the helm at Redd No. 7 studios, the album was recorded at a snail’s pace compared to the band’s debut platter, “Corporate Dynamite.” While “Trophy Room” resulted in a more finished-sounding product, the band found the length of the process frustrating. Now, as 2016 turns into its third month, Superchief is setting its sites on new music.

Superchief plays Lefty’s on Thursday, March 17 at 7:30 p.m.

“We’ve got between 10 and 15 songs really well down,” said guitarist Jason Monroe. “We’re in the mode of honing and finalizing. The plan is to record and release this year.”

With two albums under its belt and nearly seven years of playing together, Superchief is a band that is coming into its best work. Before the production of “Trophy Room,” the band went through a switch on lead guitar, losing Ricc Terranova and picking up Casey Doser in his stead. That change created a dynamic shift in Superchief’s music, drawing the band away from longer, solo-infused work into a tighter method of storytelling. Now, Monroe says, all of the songs being looked at for the next album are in the three- to four-minute range.

“When Ricc was in the band, he’s such a great guitar player that it was inevitable that we’d add leads to our songs,” Monroe said. “You still want to put a chord change or bridge or something in there as well, so that makes all the songs longer.

“ ‘Trophy Room’ is sort of the transition album from thinking about songs to thinking about them in this new way. We’re actually looking forward to the tighter sound and the chance to show that off. We’re keeping the marriage fresh by wearing new lingerie.”

In addition to working on a retooled sound, Superchief has been looking at improving its live experience while cutting back on the number of shows they go looking for.

“Superchief is a band that doesn’t take itself seriously, but we take what we do very seriously,” Monroe said. “But there have been times in the past where we’ve let the ‘not taking ourselves seriously’ fuck up the ‘taking the music seriously.’ There have been moments in the band where we’ve learned lessons. But those lessons make you a better performer.” CV