Chicago has been the birthplace of many great bands – and Sleep On It are a very worthy addition to that lineage. Yet the five-piece almost didn’t happen. The seed was planted at Riot Fest in 2012, when guitarist/vocalist TJ Horansky met guitarist/vocalist Jake Marquis by chance. With bassist AJ Khah and drummer Luka Fischman in tow, the band began rehearsing and writing in Logan Square and released a couple of EPs with their original vocalist, John Cass. However, it was when Zech Pluister replaced Cass in 2016 that everything truly fell into line. “When our original vocalist left, I didn't know if we would continue as a band," remembers Horansky. "Once I knew Zech was available though, I wanted him to join Sleep On It.”

The five-piece has been carefully crafting and honing their identity ever since. The culmination of that is the band’s debut album, Overexposed. As much as these 12 songs fit the pop-punk mold, they also subvert them, elevating this record to something that sits outside the usual confines of genre. “To me,” explains Horansky, “Overexposed is about being vulnerable and all of the anxieties that come with that. It’s also very liberating.” The band has been busy building a fanbase while sharing the stage with bands such as State Champs, AS IT IS, Waterparks and Four Year Strong, as well as appearances at Riot Fest, Slam Dunk Festival and a run on the final Vans Warped Tour. Not bad for a band that almost didn’t happen.
~ James Shotwell