Music is about chemistry--chemistry with the audience, with the other members of the band; how you connect makes a huge difference. In that regard, The So So Glos have chemistry in spades. Made up of a group of brothers from Bay Ridge, Brooklyn: Alex and Ryan Levine, step-brother Zach Staggers, and lead guitarist Matt Elkin, The So So Glos started the band when their ages still numbered in the single digits. When they arrived at Miner Street in early June, we immediately noticed their comfort and ease in how they interacted. They had truly been maing music together all their lives. 
   The So So Glos come to us by recommendation from our favorite identical twin music journalists, Jenn and Liz Pelly. "They are such tremendous people, so much fun, and such great performers, we knew they would absolutely kill it in an episode of Shaking Through." A kill it they did. The day went by in a blur of high energy guitars and one-liners delivered between the control room and the live room. Producers Kyle "Slick" Johnson and Adam Reich (Titus Andronicus) kept the energy moving as they negotiated tempo and arrangement, breaking what little tension there was with quick wit. 
   The initial demo of "Emergency" had a vibe like The Clash, which got us excited. As the day went on and the song gained momentum, it started generating its own voice and tone. The song "is about fighting indifference, and not wallowing in your depression, but rising up from it," says lead vocalist Alex. 'Emergency' name checks real experiences from their past, tough stuff growing up in their neighborhood. "When there are the real names of real people that we knew" says Ryan, "it makes it that much more personal for us." "It's a fun song," adds Alex, "but it's bittersweet. Music was escape for us." 
   When it came time for vocals, Johnson sent Alex out into the main room with no headphones, just a condenser mic on a stand--mimicking the live set up they've used night after night across the US over the years. Instead of cans, the track blasted back out through a set of NS-40s in the live room, and Alex paced and sweat, pouring over the vocals, doing take after take. In the control room, his brothers were singing along with each take, urging him through the window into giving bigger and better performances. If it weren't so much fun, you might forget how powerful the moment was. Perhaps that's the best thing about The So So Glos: They might throw the world's best party, but they're not afraid to use heart and soul getting there.