We had the honor of working with the team at Wilco to create a unique typeface for the band. Inspired by an iconic "GUITAR" sign hanging in The Loft (the band’s Chicago recording studio). Wilco Loft Sans is an all-caps, high contrast sans serif. We took those handful of letters found on the sign blow molds and expanded those into a full alphabet in 4 weights: Treble, Midrange, Low End, and Bass.
As an easter egg, there’s a custom icon for each band member based on a favorite instrument they play at The Loft—in the style of the lefty acoustic found on the original sign. A very special thanks to Spencer Tweedy, who spearheaded this dream project with one of my very favorite artists.
Mark Greenberg, Studio Manger of The Loft, explains the origins of the sign that inspired all of this:
"Guitar Fun Inc was a small guitar shop in a Chicago suburb…The shop seemed to have closed and they appeared to be moving out of the space. We contacted the owners about the sign and they said if we would hire the electrician to remove it and fill in the holes in the brick facade, it was ours for a very small fee. WHA?!?!? We were out front with an electrician 24 hours later! It was installed as a surprise for Jeff Tweedy’s birthday about 10 years ago."