Mike Kinsella is a one-man constellation of Chicago indie rock, and Owen, his solo project, is its lodestar. Owen began life in 2001, after the demise of beloved emo bands Cap'n Jazz and American Football. Owen started out as a bedroom affair, with intimate acoustic numbers that highlighted his skills as a songwriter. Over time, and across milestones like marriage, children and the loss of Kinsella's father, Owen grew into a more full-bodied studio project, though Kinsella's doleful voice remains its reliable anchor.