DJ M-Dash writesNeptune’s Core Goes to College

Some campus life, some study-at-home for Chicago’s most precocious indie band

by Andy Frye

From left: Sofia Richter (lead vocals), Jackie Cywinski (guitar/vocals), Hannah Richter (bass), and Kaitlin Cywinski (drums). Photo by Sloane Johnson (@sloaneshotit)

Young rockers Neptune’s Core have been breaking pretty much all the rules about what is supposed to happen when you’re in high school.

In much of America—even in the 2020s—it’s still all about student activities like band, chess club, sports, and a lot of school spirit, plus hitting the books, getting good grades, and nailing your best SAT and ACT scores.

But for this Chicago-based foursome, it’s been all that and more. More, meaning stuff like playing live at venues Metro, talking at music-related panel discussions like CHIRP Radio’s Independents Day at Schuba’s, or taking a week off of school to play the annual South By Southwest Festival (SXSW) in Austin, Texas.

Now, two of the indie band four members are away at college, shuffling through first-year survey courses and the lifestyle of college freshmen.

Currently, lead singer Sofia Richter is at McGill University in Montreal, Canada, and drummer Kaitlin Cywinski is down in Champaign at the University of Illinois. The other half of the band— guitarist-vocalist Jackie Cywinski and bass player Hannah Richter—are still in Chicago, finishing high school.

Despite heavier course loads and being hundreds of miles and one nation’s border apart, the band says it’s all just part of a new beginning.

“Being apart has forced us to evolve and adapt how we work and collaborate as a band,” says Kaitlin. “Communication has played a huge role in us being able to work together, despite almost 1,000 miles between us.”

Kaitlin adds that the new arrangement doesn’t preclude them from growing their social media presence or connecting with their fans and music community.

Kaitlin’s sister Jackie, back in Chicago, said “We have figured out a new system of collaborating that has been working well while being physically apart. Of course, band practices are not as often, but we have a show in the books and more in the works. For certain, not being together on an almost-daily basis creates new feelings.

“I definitely miss the practices and seeing my favorite people constantly,” Jackie adds. “So the distance makes us even more eager to get together and start playing again."

Lead vocalist Sofia Richter has a slightly more philosophical angle on the change-up.

“The transition to college marks a change in the way we go about the band, but this change almost feels refreshing. We’re getting to experience a whole new chapter of life: college, which will translate well into new, exciting material.”

Sofia explains, however, that creativity never takes a break. As such, new songs are always in the pipeline.

“The writing never stops. We’re able to keep up with our emails, social media, and all things related to business easily. College changes things but doesn’t change our efficiency and our dedication.”

Sofia’s younger sister, Hannah Richter, is buckling down on book books and bass guitar.

“While the other two have been gone, I have just been doing more of the things I did outside of the band,” Hanah explains. “I spend most of my time doing homework, but when I get the chance to have fun, I’ll practice my bass or hang out with friends. Life has carried on as usual, just minus band practice.”

Tours, core influences, and more
Photo by Sloane Johnson (@sloaneshotit)

 So how does a group of high school kids pull off a short tour in the middle of the school year, much less half a dozen shows at SXSW? Planning, juggling, and a little bit of ingenuity. But the band’s bass player hints that the excitement about the fest motivated them to make it happen.

“It was incredible getting to play a music fest as big as SXSW and it was even more amazing since many of our favorite bands were playing down there as well. We had such a great time meeting new people, hearing fantastic music, and exploring Austin. It was 100% worth the week of schoolwork we had to make up when we got home!”

Hannah points out that it was a unique opportunity. “SXSW was one of the best things we have ever experienced. It was our first time playing outside of the Midwest, which made it super special, and overall, that week was unlike any other.”

So, what’s next for Neptune’s Core? More songwriting, more shows in Chicago, and more school for now. And while this local phenomenon of a band is growing in popularity and building its fanbase even when on hiatus, their guitarist states that much of the magic of it all comes from their dire love of music and their own enterprising need to create their own music—primarily for themselves.

“Our songwriting is almost always based on real-life scenarios and emotions. When a situation in our life strikes us with a certain amount of depth, a song is created,”  Jackie says. “Sofie’s lyrics encapsulate the emotion she experiences, and the band can elevate it to a new level through dynamics, tempos, and tones, making it all the more intense.”

But she adds that they discover their own musical inspiration by consuming music every day. “We are all huge music fans. Some of my personal favorites are Cocteau Twins, Habibi, Simon and Garfunkel, and, of course, The Beatles. You can see all our musical taste shine through in our art.”