After a brief and tornadic run through the music scene of Southwest Ohio, the members of Basket Case have been scattered across the country. Despite the months and miles standing between them and their next gig, the sextet remains closely connected through the memory of their time in Athens and their plans for the future.
Basket Case began with Izze Kaukonen, Cass Wilhelm and Bodean Reese, the group’s vocalist, bassist and drummer respectively. The three played together in high school and reunited within the past year alongside one of the group's guitarists, Andre Hallenburg, a junior studying contemporary music and digital instruments, or CMDI, and music production and recording industry, or MPRI. A few months later, guitarists Jenna King and Collin Smith joined the group, the former a fifth-year student studying psychology and the latter a senior studying music therapy.
“Collin and I joined … early July,” King said. “They already had a lot of shows booked, one specific show at Nelsonville (Music Festival) at the end of July. So that was pretty stressful but it was really fun … I’m not used to playing the funkier, groovier styles so it was fun to learn how to play that, but it was definitely a lot of work.”
The funk and groove of Basket Case comes largely from Wilhelm’s bass playing, and there is an additional range of influences and styles that contributes to what the bassist described as a “versatile sound.” Reese cited the influence of jazz on his drumming, while Kaukonen believes seeing a Mannequin Pussy concert in Columbus intensified the group's grunge sound.
“We’re … alternative rock, usually a bit on the heavier, grungier side,” Reese said. “We can also pull back and play a lot more clean or slow stuff.”
With a unique combination of sound, Basket Case easily found a home within the eclectic performance space of The Union, located at 18 W. Union St.
“Whenever I play at The Union it’s kind of low stakes since we’ve played there so many times, and it’s fun when there’s a low stakes show because I feel like everybody just has fun and we end up playing better,” King said.
When it comes to the atmosphere of a show, Basket Case finds the core of a crowd's energy to be in the friends of band members. According to Reese, seeing friends have fun in the crowd gives a show an exciting edge. Wilhelm believes the group also functions better when each member strikes a chord in communal work ethic and motivation.
“If you don’t have shows and you’re not stressed … we wouldn’t be as productive,” Wilhelm said. “But it’s also harder to focus on enjoying the show if everyone’s super stressed about playing well.”
An average Basket Case setlist consists primarily of original songs and no more than one or two covers. The band’s continual workshopping process allows the group to stay sharp and motivated as it plays an ever-growing number of shows.
“We all refine as we continue to play it (a new song) up until our show, and also after our shows,” said Kaukonen.
As the band continued to grow as songwriters and musicians, the members also grew closer as a collective outfit. Although Smith believes the group was quick to become close as friends and collaborators, the guitarist still noticed an incremental shift with each passing gig.
“I feel like each show got progressively better sounding and also I was able to let loose more and just have fun,” Smith said.
After an exciting summer in the Southwest Ohio music scene, Basket Case announced a hiatus via the group's Instagram Aug. 12. The temporary split was caused by Kaukonen’s return to the University of Vermont and Wilhelm’s return to the University of Washington after spending a year off together in Athens. The group plans to return for Benefest in November, as well as winter and summer breaks. Other future plans for Basket Case include an album release in tandem with the group’s reunion show in a few months.
The success of Basket Case, from house shows to Nelsonville Music Festival, stems from a tangibly jovial and harmonious group dynamic, as well as the support of friends and strangers alike. King described the ingredients of successfully joining the Athens music scene in their simplest and truest terms.
“I think when you just have fun playing on stage and you make good music … a lot of people will come out to see you,” she said.
