Category: Blog

The latest Facing Winter compilation is called “Ghost Trains from Fermilab” and contains 10 songs recorded between 2003-2004. We’ve put a lot of time and thought into this track list, and all the songs have been remastered for 2023. You can hear it here:

You may be wondering- What’s with the name?

Liam, Jeff, and I brainstormed and collaborated for over a month before we settled on it. Here’s why we chose “Ghost Trains from Fermilab” as the title:

During 2003-2004 Jeff, Liam, Matt Potts, Dan Horyn, and I would frequently sneak into Fermilab late at night. The property is MASSIVE. Literally the size of a city:

There was a particular area we liked to hang out. At this spot, there were tracks, and trains would rumble through slowly as we mused about life, love, music, and supernatural things. In the end, some of us came to accept the possibility that if there are ghosts, there may also be “Ghost Trains”.

The lore doesn’t end there.

For many years Liam and I worked for a print shop that produced “Engineering Notepads” for Fermilab. One side of the sheet was presumably for writing notes and equations. The other side was graph paper for math and physics. We called them “Fermipads”. Each pad contained 50 sheets and a cardboard backer. Liam would print them, then I’d collate and glue them. I’d usually keep a few for myself because I love graph paper and blank books. The next day I’d drive to Fermilab and deliver them. I loved getting stopped at the security checkpoint and being able to say “Yep, I belong here, important delivery!”

I frequently daydreamed about what the scientists were doing there. There was (and is) a palpable amount of mystery and magic about that place. Was it true that the Soviets once (and maybe still do) have nukes pointed at it? Whatever they were doing there, it seemed likely to change the world.

I have STACKS of journals, poems, and lyrics written on Fermipads. Many of the songs from this compilation were written on them. Here’s a song I started writing in 2004, some of you may recognize it:

In a strange twist of fate, I’m back in the neighborhood of Fermilab after being away for many years.

I met some cool new friends not too long after I moved back here. Turns out they are physicists, and they work at Fermilab. I am not a superstitious person. But also, I love it when life makes me stop and think “Wait… this feels like more than just a coincidence. Something else could be going on here”.

It’s easy to forget how strange and magical the world can be. That’s why this compilation is called “Ghost Trains from Fermilab”.

And by the way, this album was partially recorded at the print shop where we produced the Fermipads:

Oh. You’re still here? Well then I’m going to tell you even more about this compilation.

Everything was up in the air in 2003, and it was one of the most tumultuous years of my life. But the one thing I knew for sure: I needed to keep writing, recording, and playing shows.

Most of the songs on this compilation were never officially released, instead they were passed around on CD-Rs among friends and at shows. (Anyone still remember what a CD-R is?)

20 years after these songs were written, I find myself in similar life circumstances and back in the same neighborhood. Many of the lyrics feel just as relevant to me now as they did back then. I still know with certainty: music will help me understand the world around me, it will help me understand myself, and it will help me heal.

At the time, music didn’t feel like a choice, it felt like something I had to do in order to survive. My soul needed it. I played as many open mics and shows as I could in and around Chicago.

Towards the end of 2003 I helped Liam Doyle learn to play bass. I had previously been having trouble keeping people in the band. So I figured, why not just be patient and wait for my best friend to learn an instrument? I didn’t care about current skill. I cared about dedication and chemistry.

By 2004 Liam was a legitimate bassist. The first two songs Liam ever recorded were “For Real” and “Scientists“.

The next thing that needed to happen was to secure a drummer. Just like with Liam, chemistry and dedication were the two most important things to me.

Jordan Hill had previously recorded drums on several songs and had performed many live shows with me. Some of his best work can be heard on this compilation: “Prepared” and “The Test“. But Jordan was planning to move to California, and I knew he wasn’t a long term solution.

Turns out, Jeff Goluszka was the solution (as he often is). He didn’t have as much experience as Jordan, but he was (and is) one of the hardest working, most passionate, and dedicated people I have ever met.

Jeff didn’t play drumset on this compilation, but you can hear his hand percussion on “For Real” and “Scientists“.

Edward Bembinster also had a significant role on these songs. He did not play any instruments, but he helped record and mix many of the songs including “For Real“, “Scientists“, “Prepared“, and “The Test” .

Jason Sipe had major contributions on this compilation too. But our lives were taking different paths. The other bands he played in were having a lot of success and he was touring frequently. In spite of this, he managed to record some AMAZING basslines on “Summerset“, “Prepared“, and “The Test” .

This compilation represents the end of an era and the beginning of a new one. I would no longer be playing solo. There would no longer be an uncertain roster. Because now my two best friends were in the band! We were teammates in the truest sense of the word. We were focused and passionate, and we were ready to take on the world.

There would be many more songs to come.

Thanks for reading/listening/caring! If you’ve got something to say please feel to reach out to us:

A few weeks ago we released another compilation of early songs called “You’ll Find Us There”. You can find them here:

2002 was an intense year of change for me personally, and for Facing Winter. The first half of the year was much different than the second half.

Dan Perdue’s other band Sleeping At Last was starting to have major success. They got noticed by Billy Corgan and he got them signed to Interscope Records! Understandably, Dan had to step away from Facing Winter. I felt so happy for him, but also it was hard to lose him as a bandmate.

Spoiler: Dan and I are still great friends and he still contributes to Facing Winter <3

In the early part of 2002, Jason Sipe and I were inseparable. We were constantly writing, laughing, recording, and exploring Chicago and the suburbs. Jason recorded the electric guitars on Working Title and Morning Starlight, as well as acoustic guitars on Good Mourning.

Jason’s other band “Matthew” was starting to have a lot of success, and they needed a fill-in bass player for a European tour. I was invited to join them! It was a 12 day tour through 5 different countries. It was an amazing trip for so many reasons. Photo highlights include our session in Paris for Rolling Stone!

After the trip Jason continued having great success with Matthew, and so we weren’t able to hang out as much. But this certainly wasn’t the end of Jason’s contributions to Facing Winter.

Musically, it was whittled down to just me. But I doubled-down on Facing Winter. During the second half of the year I was playing open mics religiously in Chicago and the area. Sometimes 4-5 nights a week. I had a particular partner in crime: Liam Doyle.

Liam hadn’t started playing bass yet, but during this time he was one of my biggest supporters and best friends. We spent SO many nights wandering throughout Chicago and beyond. Even though Liam didn’t contribute musically to these songs, I could not have done it without him by my side.

My favorite song from this compilation is Venture Further. Even all these years later, I can still feel it. And I think it’s a song I may start playing live again soon.

Many of these songs were on an album originally released as “Just Invisible”. Here is the original artwork drawn by Lara Earhart:

The next compilation will be released in November and will include songs from 2003-2005. Stand-by for the exciting debuts of Liam Doyle on Bass and Jeff Goluszka on Drums!

Want to talk more about these songs? Have a question? A comment? Hit us up anytime:

Hey. This is Justin. I want to share some background and details about Facing Winter’s story. And also some big news!

Today Facing Winter has released a new compilation called “Take Shape and Run Away“. These ancient songs are more than 20 years old! But we’ve added a fresh shine, and all tracks have been remastered.

Longtime friends may recognize favorites like “Lost” and “Will It Be The Last Time” which were performed regularly for many years.

You can find “Take Shape and Run Away” on Spotify, Bandcamp, and YouTube.

This is just the beginning. We’ll be releasing more compilations and albums regularly for the rest of the year. More than 70 songs bout to drop!

“Take Shape and Run Away” contains songs that were written by Justin Birchard and Dan Perdue, with important creative contributions by Ed Bembinster, Jason Sipe, and Jordan Hill.

How did Facing Winter begin?

It was Fall of 1999, Dan and I were 18 years old. We’d been friends since early childhood and had played in several bands together as teenagers. We were both starting to “grow out” of our previous bands, and it was time for something new. Dan came up with the name of the band. I loved it immediately and never looked back.

Heavily inspired by Radiohead, Sunny Day Real Estate, and The Prayer Chain, we wrote three songs: Travail, Blue Cycle, and Breathe Deep. These were recorded at Northern Illinois University in Dekalb by Nick Kettman. If you listen closely, you can hear the noise of the tape looping around the reel. It was a magical recording experience that we both remember fondly. Here’s the original artwork for the album, created by Dustin Lopatka:

These are the photos from our first photoshoot (photographer unknown):

During the year 2000 I wrote three songs that were never officially released: Wait For Spring, Rain Song, and, Tainted Eyes. Maybe you will recognize the riffs in Wait For Spring? This song was later stripped and used to create two new songs. We decided to include these three on the “Early Morning” compilation because they’re an important part of our story.

In 2001 Dan and I recorded and released “EP2” which included three new songs: Lost, Will It Be The Last Time, and 010101. We brought in longtime friend Jordan Hill to play drums on two of the tracks. The songs were recorded on 2″ tape and mixed by Edward Bembinster at 35th Street Studio in Chicago.

EP2 was also the first time we collaborated with Jeff Stogis for art direction. Here is the original insert from EP2:

Facing Winter collaborators in 2001:

After EP2, the band went through a big transition. Dan Perdue’s other band Sleeping At Last got signed by a prominent label, and so we temporarily parted ways for a few years. During the last half of 2001 I kept writing and recording. I partnered with Edward Bembinster, Jordan Hill, and Jason Sipe to record Dichotomy and Evade. Dichotomy is nearly 13 minutes long, it was recorded and engineered by Edward Bembinster.

And now you know the legend of “Take Shape and Run Away”!

Thank you for caring about our music and our story. Please stay tuned for more. The next big release will be 8/31/23 and will include songs recorded in 2002.