Fourth of July

by Stewart MasonThe Fourth of July are as easygoing and as rooted in family as an Independence Day barbecue in their hometown of Lawrence, KS. The core of the band consists of three brothers: lead singer and guitarist Brendan Hangauer, bassist Patrick Hangauer, and keyboardist and trumpet player Kelly Hangauer. Veterans of various local bands, the brothers formed the Fourth of July in 2001 (a fourth brother manages the band) as an expansion of a one-man solo project by Brendan. Over several years of local gigs and D.I.Y. home demos, the Fourth of July slowly solidified a final lineup that includes the brothers' high-school friend Steve Swyers on rhythm guitar, drummer Brian Costello, and keyboardist and second singer Adrianne Verhoeven, formerly of the emo outfit the Anniversary. Signing to the local indie Range Life Records, the Fourth of July released their debut album, Fourth of July on the Plains, in the summer of 2007.