Founded in 2001, the Undertones is a co-ed, competitive a cappella group at Northwestern University. Maintaining our high level of musicianship goes hand in hand with being a group of friends who love to sing and laugh together. Our members come from all over the world and study in every school Northwestern has to offer. As one alum put it:
“We take our music very seriously, and ourselves? Not seriously at all.”
PERFORMANCE AND TRAVEL
In addition to our main-stage concerts, we perform at campus events and fundraisers like Homecoming, All Paws In’s Dog Fair, SOLR’s May Day, and the President’s Welcome. We’ve also performed all over Chicago and at local schools.
A highlight of many Tones’ experience is our annual tour, where we teach workshops at schools, perform at different venues, and explore the city as a group. Previous tour locations include Fort Lauderdale, Barcelona, New York, Miami, Philadelphia, Saint Louis, Boston, and Edinburgh. During our 2016 trip to Washington, D.C., we sang at The White House!
See what The Daily Northwestern had to say about us.
COMPETITION
CARA nominated, ICCA award-winning, and regularly featured on various a cappella media like the Mouth Off! podcast and The A Cappella Blog, the Undertones consistently demonstrate excellence in competition.
2024 ICCA Quarterfinal: First Place, Best Soloist (Yara Nasr ‘26), Best Arrangement (Sadie Fridley ‘25), Best Choreography (Maria Luiso ‘24)
2022 ICCA Quarterfinal: First Place, Best Soloist (Ruby Gibson ‘22), Best Arrangement (Cameron Miya ‘22), Best Choreography (Brandon Acosta ‘22) — watch below!
2020 ICCA Quarterfinal: Third Place
2018 ICCA Quarterfinal: Second Place, Best Soloist (Lucy Godinez)
2015 ICCA Quarterfinal: First Place, Best Soloist (Eliza Palasz)
2012 ICCA Quarterfinal: Best Vocal Percussion (Matt Kania)
2010 ICCA Quarterfinal and Semifinal: Best Arrangement
2007 ICCA Quarterfinal: First Place, Best Choreography
And more… (casa.org users recently nominated the Undertones for Favorite Mixed Collegiate Group!)
The Northwestern Undertones at the ICCA Great Lake Quarterfinals in 2020. Courtesy of Varsity Vocals.
IN THE STUDIO
The Undertones has released five studio albums. Our album"Rock Paper Shotgun," released in 2013, was nominated by the Contemporary A Cappella Recording Society for Best Mixed Collegiate album. The album's opening track "Plain Gold Ring" (arranged by Matt Kania and Laura Winters, featuring soloist Eliza Palasz) was nominated for Best Mixed Arrangement and Best Solo and was included in the compilations "Voices Only 2013" and CASA's "sing 10: neon." The track "Gunpowder and Lead" was nominated for Best Mixed Collegiate song, and the track "Bluebird" was selected for "Voices Only 2014."
“As a work of art, [Rock Paper Shotgun] is consummately clean, tight, clever, creative, skilled and magnetic in its ability to draw you in and keep you engaged, time after time.”
“[The arrangements are] some of the best I’ve heard from the collegiate community.”
“You can just tell that these singers can fill the room and sing to the last person in the last row.”
Our recording of "Before the Worst" was selected for inclusion on the album "BOCA 2011: Best of College A Cappella 2011”, RARB (The Recorded A Cappella Review Board) listed “Eet” as one of the Songs of the Year in 2011, and Matt Edmonds’ arrangement of “Before the Worst” was nominated for a CARA (Contemporary A Cappella Recording Award) for Best Mixed Collegiate Arrangement.
Although we spend about six hours each week (sometimes more!) rehearsing, performing, and recording, we’re also a close group of friends who love spending time together and keeping the fun and silliness alive in the work we do!