Bio

Formed in Chicago when Brad Mueller  decided to sing a best man speech and enlisted Joe Monahan to help write the speech as a song. The two made great writing partners and after the speech wrote "Light On." Without knowing it, they had started what would become Scotch the Filmmaker.

Joe Monahan was also jamming and playing with drummer Adam Balasco from Skipping Rocks and now in the Empty Pockets.

Unable to book a venue for their first show, they played a DIY house show in Brad's Pilsen apartment. The show was the first time the three played together and would start the band off as DIY loving musicians from day 1.

The band's debut album Don't Drink Alone  came out in 2016. It was an album that was supposed to have someone featured as a guest on each track with Joe, Brad and Adam as the rhythm section. "I just wasn't confident in my voice yet." Joe Monahan says of the concept. "I also wanted to work with a lot of the talent in Chicago that I was friends with from open mics and jams. I knew a lot them were not gigging or writing and wanted them to have a place to shine too." The album of collaborations led to three new members. John Shcieber on Violin, Katie Scieber on lead vocals and Franny Sadler on Keys and vocals. Soon after, Adam left the band to go on to be a successful full time professional musician with the now #1 Blues album having Empty Pockets and Brian Kinney took over on lead drums.

With the new six piece lineup solidified, the band took off on the local scene. Winning "Best new Band" in the 2017  poll for the Chicago Reader, Scotch the Filmmaker, playing headlining shows at the House of Blues, Lincoln Hall and Schubas. They went on to release three EPS and a full length album over the next two years.  

Scotch the Filmmaker is  cocktail of genre bending indie. They go from rock to soul or from folksy to funky before you can say their names. They dance, they sing, and they hope you will too.