Chairlift

The dramatic, synth-heavy avant-pop of Chairlift emerged in 2008 with the album Does You Inspire You. Featuring whimsical arrangements and the richly ethereal, elastic vocals of <a href="spotify:artist:4Ge8xMJNwt6EEXOzVXju9a">Caroline Polachek</a>, the group expanded their sound for their major-label debut, 2012's Something, which landed on the Billboard 200. With <a href="spotify:artist:4Ge8xMJNwt6EEXOzVXju9a">Polachek</a> and the only other constant member, producer Patrick Wimberly, active in other projects and behind the scenes with artists like <a href="spotify:artist:6vWDO969PvNqNYHIOW5v0m">Beyoncé</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:2auiVi8sUZo17dLy1HwrTU">Solange</a> during the band's tenure, Chairlift officially disbanded a year after releasing their third and poppiest album, 2016's Moth.

Both students at the University of Colorado in Boulder at the time, <a href="spotify:artist:4Ge8xMJNwt6EEXOzVXju9a">Caroline Polachek</a> and Aaron Pfenning formed Chairlift in 2005 with the aim of providing music for haunted houses. After finding that their work transcended its original purpose, they pulled up stakes and headed east, settling in Brooklyn before adding third member Patrick Wimberly. They quickly made a name for themselves, playing shows with similar up-and-comers like <a href="spotify:artist:0SwO7SWeDHJijQ3XNS7xEE">MGMT</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:04HvbIwBccFmRie5ATX4ft">Yeasayer</a> while inking a contract with the independent label <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Kanine%22">Kanine</a>.

Chairlift's first release on the label, a single titled "Evident Utensil," featured a remix by <a href="spotify:artist:0SwO7SWeDHJijQ3XNS7xEE">MGMT</a> and was a precursor to the group's full-length debut. Issued in 2008, Does You Inspire You received an extra promotional boost when "Bruises" appeared in a commercial for a popular tech company. By early 2009, major labels came calling and Chairlift signed to <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Columbia%22">Columbia</a>, which reissued Does You Inspire You that April. Sophomore album Something was recorded by the duo of <a href="spotify:artist:4Ge8xMJNwt6EEXOzVXju9a">Polachek</a> and Wimberly following the departure of Pfenning. Arriving in early 2012, it elevated the band's kaleidoscopic pop to a grander scale with assistance from producers <a href="spotify:artist:1PXStuNqw9YDsim4EhMSq7">Dan Carey</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:7cXiglYPsrmgecDTDTVFQC">Alan Moulder</a>. The album reached number 184 on the Billboard 200 and ended up on many "Best of 2012" lists. One fan of the record turned out to be <a href="spotify:artist:6vWDO969PvNqNYHIOW5v0m">Beyoncé</a>, who invited the duo to help collaborate on songs for Beyoncé. Making it onto the final 2013 album was "No Angel," which <a href="spotify:artist:4Ge8xMJNwt6EEXOzVXju9a">Polachek</a> co-wrote with <a href="spotify:artist:6vWDO969PvNqNYHIOW5v0m">Beyoncé</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:5ooSG9S0glqP5ZrqqaHBvT">James Fauntleroy</a>.

Early the next year, <a href="spotify:artist:4Ge8xMJNwt6EEXOzVXju9a">Polachek</a> made her solo debut with Arcadia (<a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Terrible+Records%22">Terrible Records</a>), releasing it under the moniker <a href="spotify:artist:4rznUCgRWVTHQX9tUyQ4BV">Ramona Lisa</a>. Her EP Dominic followed before the end of 2014, with the three-track Piano Versions arriving in 2015. Meanwhile, Wimberly mixed albums for <a href="spotify:artist:0asVlqTLu3TimnYVyY5Jxi">tUnE-yArDs</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:5t7ZwG3Jvp9E51FRhQoQNU">Fort Lean</a>, among others, including <a href="spotify:artist:4rznUCgRWVTHQX9tUyQ4BV">Ramona Lisa</a>. Self-produced by the duo, the next Chairlift LP was their slickest and poppiest album yet. Featuring instrumental input from <a href="spotify:artist:3GhVFlFT3pagjVkslQPqoJ">Quadron</a>'s <a href="spotify:artist:0qVb1coEo0OVOpP9kphf6U">Robin Hannibal</a>, Moth was issued on <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Columbia%22">Columbia</a> in early 2016.

That year, Wimberly contributed production and performances to <a href="spotify:artist:2auiVi8sUZo17dLy1HwrTU">Solange</a>'s number one album A Seat at the Table, <a href="spotify:artist:6LEeAFiJF8OuPx747e1wxR">Blood Orange</a>'s Freetown Sound, and <a href="spotify:artist:2i9uaNzfUtuApAjEf1omV8">Wet</a>'s Don't You, while <a href="spotify:artist:4Ge8xMJNwt6EEXOzVXju9a">Polachek</a> co-wrote a track that was included on <a href="spotify:artist:0Y5tJX1MQlPlqiwlOH1tJY">Travis Scott</a>'s Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight. In January 2017, <a href="spotify:artist:4Ge8xMJNwt6EEXOzVXju9a">Polachek</a> released her first instrumental album, Drawing the Target Around the Arrow, under her initials, <a href="spotify:artist:2aooHIljVYIZhEFFNmIaEz">CEP</a>. She also co-wrote material for releases by <a href="spotify:artist:2auiVi8sUZo17dLy1HwrTU">Solange</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:1bwUhKRmEkOZ1wuTnV9XjC">Beach Fossils</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:25uiPmTg16RbhZWAqwLBy5">Charli XCX</a>, and others that would see release before the end of the year. Chairlift disbanded in April 2017 following a set of farewell shows, with the final one taking place at Brooklyn Steel. ~ Chris True & Marcy Donelson, Rovi