"I just kind of like what I like," Archibald said of his writing process. "Usually, I've heard it in my head already, and I just sort of think, 'This songs needs a xylophone or a sleighbell or something.' "
Illinois' recently released EP, The Revenge of Some Kid, isn't entirely new, although Archibald suggested that it's improved.
"It's a lot of the same recordings, we just had them mastered," Archibald said of the EP. "And before, you'd buy one from us, and it'd have a different colored label on it, so you'd say, 'Oh, yeah, I've got the orange one.' This is a little more professional."
Illinois will be playing a Filter Magazine showcase concert at the prestigious South by Southwest music festival in Austin, Texas, later this spring, and there's been some chatter between the band and some major labels. Still, as Archibald said, it's the work, not the business, that matters to him.
"All we do is just work our asses off," Archibald said. "I can't get too deep into the business aspects of it, or I lose sight of what I'm trying to do. Right now, we're just gonna practice a ton, record and keep doing what we do."
State College-based pure-pop songwriter Ramsey has been busy pushing his solo debut, Something New, since its release late last spring.
"The last few months, I've been sending the record out to more places, trying to get some more press and trying to put together some more out-of-town shows," Ramsey said. "And I've sort of got my eye on the next [album], although I'm not sure when that'll be."
Ramsey, a Zeno's regular, said he is pleased to be playing in a bar he might have spent his Thursday night in anyway.
"A good place to play and a good place to hang out go hand in hand," Ramsey said. "I think that's sort of why I like playing there. It's nice playing in front of people you know, and it's nice playing in front of people you like hanging out with."
When Illinois and Ramsey shared a bill in October, Archibald said he was rather taken by his opener's set.
"I really enjoyed [Ramsey's set]," Archibald said. "His stuff was really pure to me. It just has that originality, that imagination."
Ramsey said he is an Illinois fan himself.
"They rock pretty hard, but they're not afraid to do pretty stuff, too," Ramsey said. "And they have a few piano-based pretty tunes that are right up my alley."
Local concert promoter Ted Swanson, who set up Illinois and Ramsey for tonight's show, said he sees big things happening for Illinois.
"No matter what they do, they'll be successful," Swanson said. "Chris Archibald is just a great songwriter. He hears something in his head, communicates it to the band, and they can deliver."
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