About Reinventing Laura Jane Grace: The first time Best Loop's Bobby Loesch saw Against Me! play live... he didn't. In March 2005, the singer was at their club show in Iowa City, Iowa, but left before the band took the stage.

"I knew their song 'Sink, Florida, Sink'" he said, "but it was my first concert going alone, so I probably got a little skittish after Smoke Or Fire finished playing."

Flash forward to February 2008, Loesch drove nearly four hours to see Against Me! open a Foo Fighters arena show in Council Bluffs, Iowa. They ended their set with "The Ocean":

If I could have chosen, I would have been born a woman

My mother once told me she would have named me Laura

The lyrics, confessional and visceral, always stood out. When frontperson Laura Jane Grace came out as a transgender woman in Rolling Stone's May 2012 issue, it felt like she'd been hiding in plain sight.

"Laura put a familiar face to an unfamiliar group of people, who for too long had been reduced to a pop culture punchline," Loesch said. "The courage to tell her story forced a lot of people in the scene, myself included, to face something foreign head on."

Reading Grace's autobiography in 2017 was even more illuminating.

"Show spaces were supposed to be open to everyone regardless of age, race, class, sex... but for the most part it was just (people) oblivious to the privilege they came from," Grace wrote. "It also became clear to me that while these were the politics heralded by the scene, often they were not actually practiced."

Music has the incredible power to inspire, build confidence, and provide a sense of belonging, so when Best Loop decided to record an EP of Grace's songs titled Reinventing Laura Jane Grace -- a nod to the 2002 Against Me! LP Reinventing Axl Rose -- the band wanted to find the ideal organization to support with all proceeds.

"Seeing Laura's past support of the Girls Rock Camp Movement, combined with a friendly dialogue when we reached out snapped everything into place immediately," Loesch said. "Though we have always been a punk band in style, we wanted this release to match that ethos in substance."

The home recorded release was mixed professionally (and pro bono) by Matt Holmes at The Echo Mill and mastered by Collin Jordan at The Boiler Room, who also mastered Grace's 2024 release Hole In My Head.

"We owe a lot to Matt and Collin for immediately jumping on board and loaning their time and skills to this wonderful cause," Loesch said. "It felt full circle to have the person who mastered the original 'Cuffing Season' also do the same for our version."

Best Loop is committed to being an ally to LGBTQ artists and members of our community, both inside and outside of the music scene. By releasing Reinventing Laura Jane Grace on International Transgender Day of Visibility, the band hopes to draw attention to challenges facing the trans community--discrimination, marginalization, access to healthcare -- while also amplifying the art of a prominent member of the community and supporting Girls Rock! Chicago’s mission to empower a new generation of girls and trans musicians.

Album proceeds and all donations will benefit Girls Rock! Chicago’s programs for girls, trans, and gender expansive youth ages 8-16, particularly supporting camper financial aid for youth who may not otherwise have access to arts programming or a community of gender-diverse folks.

About Best Loop: City speed, suburban ennui, and no coast to grab. Best Loop is an American punk rock band from the West Loop of Chicago, Illinois. The band consists of Bobby Loesch (vocals, drums, guitar), Kevin Haack (guitar), David Rokos (bass), and Brian Bedford (drums). They released their debut "Between Two Different Places" in 2021, followed by the "New York, New York" split in 2022 and "End On A Make" in 2024.

Featuring founding members of The Ramblin' Boys Of Pleasure, Best Loop draws inspiration from hometown luminaries like The Lawrence Arms, Alkaline Trio, and Sincere Engineer, as well as foundational pillars like Banner Pilot, The Menzingers, and Operation Ivy.

Best Loop: Reinventing Laura Jane Grace

A Fundraiser for Girls Rock! Chicago