Tom Lynch

After Elizabeth Elmore's first crack at penetrating the walls of the Midwest indie-punk scene, Sarge, turned in its colors in 1999, the singer and songwriter played several shows solo. But, as it turned out, she "wasn't very good at it."

Then came friends in support and soon Elmore had a full lineup for The Reputation, a name chosen somewhat in jest while she and a friend drunkenly discussed her Sarge days. The Reputation had signed to Initial Records and had a tour canned because of 9/11. Elmore took a break from her law-school studies at Northwestern as the band toured when it could. After various drummer adjustments, the band's debut self-titled record hit shelves in April 2002 to modest acclaim--some critics and Sarge fans didn't quite warm to Elmore's new soft approach.

She went back to school. While she finished her final semester, the band toured as much as possible, leaving Elmore with an exhaustingly tight schedule. Then the announcement--Lookout! Records was to release The Reputation's next album. By the time "To Force a Fate" was released in April 2004, Elmore had finished her studies, graduated and began studying for the bar exam (she's now passed the exam and has been sworn in by the Illinois Supreme Court). The press nurtured the record like it was a newborn cub found on a doorstep. Hitting various Top 10 and Top 5 lists in publications across the country, The Reputation received more attention than ever, Elmore's knack for lyrical bluntness and inspired fusing of indie-pop hooks with an angelically talkish vocal delivery reaping the most praise.

How did the band find itself signed to Lookout!?

It was really random, because we only sent stuff out to one label. Lookout! was changing their sound--they signed people like Ted Leo--and the guy who did shipping for him, I knew him, and I asked him if there was any point in sending our stuff to the label. There was always stuff I liked about the label. I always liked Green Day, I was super into the East Bay punk scene.

Did you anticipate such a positive critical response to "To Force a Fate"?

"You really never know. Our band, if we have any luck at all, it's with the press. Both my bands, that was the one area we've been lucky in. I was just so tired and stressed out making this record. You just hope people will like it. It was weird getting praise in a bigger circle. We're a small band, it was like, "Does anybody care?"

How do you balance a music career and a career in law at the same time?

I'm probably not employable because we tour five months out of the year. Right now I do contract negotiations for indie-rock bands. I understand that I can't have a serious law career when I'm still in a band. They are two things I really like, but I can't have them at the same time. I hope I don't fuck myself. I still keep my head in the game, though. I'll do this or that, a little bit, I still go to bar meetings. I'll make the transition sometime.

During the heyday of Sarge, you were in your late-teens, early-twenties. Have you taken any new wisdom learned from those days in to your approach towards The Reputation?

I think that with Sarge, I didn't know how to write a song. With Sarge I didn't have any idea of what was going on. I was blissfully unaware, 20 years old, just bouncing around. And, probably to the detriment of this band, I don't have a new approach really. My songwriting tastes have changed, but in terms of approaching it as a lifestyle, I haven't changed. It's probably a detriment because indie-rock has changed. Stubbornly, I keep pretending like it's 1996, and all we have to do is work hard, tour a lot. It's probably fucking us.

The Reputation plays January 7 at Schubas, 3159 North Southport, (773)525-2508.

(2006-01-03)

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