Bill

Bill is a rock band formed in 1987 in New England and fronted by Bill Gage, who sings in a wide range of styles and builds songs around improvised, shifting lyrics. Gage also has Down syndrome, and the group’s name comes from one of the words he can write.

The band’s music moves between art rock, heavy metal, acoustic folk ballads and industrial riffs. Its songwriting is deliberately fluid, with Gage continuously refining and reworking his vocal improvisations. On record, the group has used different methods: Beatles Chinese is built from a set of song titles Gage named and then sang over quickly recorded backing, while Bat Man uses backing tracks recorded in advance, with Gage later adding vocals and naming the songs and album.

Bill’s live performances are described as combining punk, psychedelia, pop and hard rock. Gage leads the show with theatrical details, including a cape used for “Steve Pepper”, and he speaks to the audience between songs before introducing the next piece.

Line-up

The band includes Daren Follower on drums, Gaylen Moore on bass, and guitarists Eric Morin, Greg Ansin and John Gage, Bill Gage’s brother. Earlier members include Paul Desjarlais of Pseudonym, Stephin Merritt of The Magnetic Fields and David M. Curry of Empty House Coöperative.

Bill is also working on a new record.