Biography
Adam Vida, who serves as drummer for U.S. Maple while acting as a central figure in Chicago’s underground music community and the primary songwriter for his own group, shaped Central Falls into a distinctive contributor within indie rock. His brother Ben Vida, an accomplished guitarist and cofounder of Town & Country, first generated the creative momentum that launched the Central Falls endeavor. After relocating from Minneapolis to Chicago, the Vida siblings drew on their accumulated musical background to form the Falls ensemble toward the close of 1998. Only the following year did Ben and Adam finalize the lineup by joining forces with bassist Ryan Hembrey and drummer Jason Adasiewicz. A few months into studio work on their first recordings, Hembrey stepped away temporarily because of tendinitis; Noel Kupersmith, bassist with Brokeback and the Chicago Underground Trio, stepped in alongside pedal steel player Steve Dorocke. Once those sessions concluded, Hembrey rejoined on keyboards, Andy Ulrich took over bass duties, and Dorocke left the group. Central Falls released its debut album Latitude in early 2001, which drew encouraging notices from regional outlets.