By Jacob NelsonPLAY Writer

Don’t let the name of Matt Skiba’s latest side project fool you. Though the Alkaline Trio frontman’s new band may be called Heavens, darker words like “guillotine” and “hearse” make up every song on their debut album, Patent Pending.

While Heavens’ lyrics may strike familiar chords for fans of the similarly dark Alkaline Trio, not much else will. The music, composed almost entirely by F-Minus bassist Josiah Steinbrick is much slower and more electronically based than anything Skiba’s done before.

“Just about everything was different,” Skiba explains over the phone. “For a long time I was writing songs to my own musical ideas; with this, it was writing to someone else’s ideas.”

Another key difference is Skiba’s singing style. When singing for Alkaline Trio, Skiba usually sings high and loud, occasionally screaming out versus or choruses. In Heavens, he sings with a softer, lower croon.

“It is definitely easier singing lower,” Skiba says of the difference. “Without a guitar you’re really just concentrating on one thing and that makes a huge difference, too.”

Heavens began when Skiba moved from Chicago to Los Angeles several years ago and became housemates with Steinbrick. The two found they each shared a similar affinity for music and when Steinbrick showed Skiba some melodies he’d created, Skiba immediately began writing lyrics to them.

“We just started cranking out all these songs,” Skiba says. “We decided we were onto something.”

The two finished writing the album in about a week in August of 2004 and then found a producer. Afterwards, they shopped around with the completed album until striking a deal with Epitaph Records, who released it in September of this year.

“We didn’t bring a label in until we were done with tracking,” Skiba says.

After the record was released, Skiba and Steinbrick enlisted four other people to compile a live band and began touring.

Skiba adds that despite the electronic elements found on Patent Pending, the performance is entirely live and has no looping.

Heavens performed their first show in Manchester and later played four more in the United Kingdom before coming back to the U.S. for a tour here. According to Skiba, the crowds have been giving the band a positive response.

“It’s been surprisingly really well received,” Skiba says. “We’re pleased as punch.”

Medill freshman Jacob Nelson is a PLAY writer. He can be reached at [email protected].