Coming up this Thursday, August 17, Cincinnati rock duo Old City officially becomes a trio when they take the stage at MOTR, along with psych/post-rockers Plug, an melodic punk outfit Stokelys. With the change to the band’s lineup and a record in the making, it’s a great time to check in with one of Cincinnati’s longer-running rock bands to see what they’ve been up to, what’s going on now, and what comes next.

Thanks to guitarist/vocalist Sammy McKee for taking the time to answer a few questions. You can read our quick chat below!

The band has been relatively quiet… What’s been happening in the world of Old City over the past few years?

Dave and I have been working together on the songs that will make up our next album. It has taken awhile as Dave, and I have been also working on other projects (Siren Suit, Perfect Stranglers, and Grave Clothes).

Tell us about this week’s show! What are you amped for?

We are going to be joined with our new bassist, Kathlene McKee (my wife). We are also debuting some new material that we have never played live that I’m excited to share.

Old City has been without a bassist for quite a while, as well, but has soldiered on and have been loud and heavy as ever. But that’s all changing now - tell us about how that came about and what it’s been like working on things as a trio again?

My wife had taken several years off from playing music. When James Burns from Swear Jar and I started jamming on some of his new songs (with me drumming), I immediately thought of my wife to play bass. His songs were so angular and heavy, and that’s right in her wheelhouse. Her passion for music was instantly reinvigorated and we became “Perfect Stranglers.” I had also been talking to Dave about maybe having a bass player in Old City again. It was a natural fit and we have been having a great time playing in both projects, as they are very different from each other.

After the show on Thursday at MOTR, the band is getting into the recording headspace. What are you doing to prepare for putting the new album together? What can fans expect from a new Old City record?

We have been rehearsing feverishly to learn all 17 ideas that we are hoping to record over the winter. Our show will feature mostly new songs as we work them out for recording. We plan to continue rehearsing and maybe play another few shows to finish out the year.

The plan is for the songs to sound raw and huge, like our live shows. We continue to evolve our sound, which is my favorite part of playing with Dave for the last almost 11 years.

Thanks again to Sammy for the chat. Be sure to click the show flyer to get all the details for this week’s show, and keep an eye out for new music from the band in the near future.