BIOGRAPHY
Chain and the Gang is led by Ian Svenonius, previously the frontman of Nation of Ulysses and The Make-Up, and author of the books Psychic Soviet and Supernatural Strategies for Making a Rock 'n' Roll Group. The band debuted with Down with Liberty...Up with Chains! on K Records in April 2009, built around Svenonius's philosophy that freedom and liberty have been used to promote greed and ugliness, and that a new kind of embraced bondage, in solidarity with convicts, hobos, and outlaws, offers an alternative. The lineup has shifted constantly, drawing in musicians like Fred Thomas, Brian Weber, Brett Lyman, Sarah Pedal, Chris Sutton, Fiona Campbell, Katie Alice Greer, Danny Kroha, Shelley Salant, and Amber Fellows across albums including Music's Not for Everyone, In Cool Blood, Minimum Rock 'n' Roll, and Experimental Music. After years with K Records, the band moved to In the Red for 2017's Best of Crime Rock.