Real Work

In Columbia, South Carolina, former Baumer members Kenny McWilliams and Chad Rochester, along with former NEEDTOBREATHE drummer, Joe Stillwell, have a new project named “Real Work.” The first single and supporting music video will be released on April 6, 2018, with tour dates and the release of the EP to come the following May.

While McWilliams has long been a part of the Columbia music scene, producing and recording a large variety of local, regional, and national bands (AllGetOut, Valley Maker) at Archer Avenue Studio, Real Work will be his first time fronting a band. Crafted over the past two years and initially conceptualized as a duo, McWilliams and Rochester quickly realized the project needed more. They enlisted the help of Stillwell, who was eager to get involved after hearing early demos, along with Christian Tyler and Brewer Eberly, a graduating med student.

Influenced by Bon Iver, The National, Radiohead, and The Cold War Kids, Real Work is a powerful blend of conscious songwriting, high-energy musical moments, and confident on-stage chemistry. Even as the songs lean toward indie rock, there is a maturity in their restraint. Indeed, the content of the lyrics gives insight into the tension between art and family at the center of their lives.