B-Side Guys

Jeb Backe cranks the fidelity down and the intensity up. “Good Hurt” operates as what the Chicago musician describes as “an impassioned driving force,” taking No Lonesome’s established mixed-fidelity approach into punchier territory. The track trades the leisurely, swaggering saunter that the Chicago Reader noted in earlier work for something more urgent, proving that Backe’s forward-thinking ear can handle multiple speeds without losing what makes the project distinctive.

The production embraces crunch as aesthetic choice rather than limitation. Lo-fi doesn’t mean lazy here—it’s a deliberate framework that allows the driving percussion and uncompromising voice to hit harder than pristine production might permit. Backe’s studied understanding of what came before (country, folk, indie rock) informs the arrangement without dictating it, creating space for something that feels nostalgic and immediate simultaneously.

“Good Hurt” appears on the upcoming EP Am I What I’m Not?, which spans thematically from precise inward observation to infinite cosmic release. This particular track sits firmly in the driving-force category, channeling energy outward through slacker rock structures that refuse to actually slack off. The international support No Lonesome has garnered—with Australian publication Happy Mag praising their “soulful and tender melodies adorned with lush instrumentation”—reflects work that operates across geographic boundaries while maintaining Chicago DIY roots.

As an ongoing collaborator with musicians Smushie, Astrachan, and Berta Bigtoe in Chicago’s scene, Backe brings communal sensibility to solo work, understanding that DIY doesn’t mean isolated. “Good Hurt” benefits from that perspective, sounding like something made by someone who’s learned from playing with others while maintaining clear individual vision. The result is a track that doesn’t apologize for its rough edges—it weaponizes them.