Guitarist and singer/songwriter
Tom Daily (aka Tom Counihan) is a stalwart of the Chicago punk and indie rock scene. He first garnered attention in the 1990s as a touring member of the melodic pop-punk outfit
the Smoking Popes. As a solo artist, he has built a following crafting hooky, lo-fi albums like 1999's
Happily Deceiving Culture, 2001's
Burlington Northern, and 2006's The Death of Tom Daily.
Hailing from the Chicago suburbs,
Daily started out playing punk in various groups including
Not Rebecca (where he was the prime songwriter) and the Prescriptions. A regular presence at such famed locales as Fireside Bowl and Cabaret Metro, he recorded several albums while also gaining wider exposure touring with
the Smoking Popes. In 1999, he released his debut solo album,
Happy Deceiving Culture, on Thick Records. Recorded at his home on an 8-track, it showcased his catchy blend of lo-fi, harmony-driven indie pop. He followed with 2000's EP Tragedy of Fanbelts and 2001's full-length
The Burlington Northern, albums that found him conscripting the help of ex-
Smoking Popes bandmates drummer
Mike Felumlee and guitarist
Eli Caterer. Performing as
Tom Daily and the Volunteers, he continued his slate of live shows and contributed a cover of
Joe Jackson's "Throw It Away" to the 2001 charity compilation
Living Tomorrow Today: A Benefit for Ty Cambra. A third full-length, The Death of Tom Daily, arrived in 2006 and featured some musical assistance by
Caterer and Brian Hilmers. In 2015,
Daily reunited with his
Not Rebecca bandmate Dave Lysien to form the Addisons. Around the same time, he also joined drummer
Felumlee in the band the Bigger Empty. ~ Matt Collar