Grand Archives

Although their audience never extended beyond a small cult following, the Seattle indie folk band <a href="spotify:artist:5VnYwYnG7QmpzQtxyubIwh">Carissa's Wierd</a> (yes, that's how they spelled it) helped pave the way for a number of acoustic bands partially inspired by British and American folk-rock of the '60s and '70s, from <a href="spotify:artist:4gn6f5jaOO75s0oF7ozqGG">Joanna Newsom</a> to <a href="spotify:artist:7ITd48RbLVpUfheE7B86o2">the Decemberists</a>. Splitting suddenly in 2003 after an eight-year tenure, the group splintered into several factions. Singer Jenn Ghetto started the lo-fi D.I.Y. project S, drummer <a href="spotify:artist:3wC39cIBlyNFSP8bO84FCJ">Sera Cahoone</a> opted for an alt-country solo career, and guitarists Mat Brooke and <a href="spotify:artist:6Vfn70eqp3AgtiZZtQcv4W">Ben Bridwell</a> formed the indie rock outfit <a href="spotify:artist:0OdUWJ0sBjDrqHygGUXeCF">Band of Horses</a>. Following the release of their Sub Pop debut, Everything All the Time, Brooke left <a href="spotify:artist:0OdUWJ0sBjDrqHygGUXeCF">Band of Horses</a> (which was primarily <a href="spotify:artist:6Vfn70eqp3AgtiZZtQcv4W">Bridwell</a>'s project) to form his own band. At first called simply "Archives," but quickly renamed Grand Archives, the new band featured Brooke on guitar and vocals backed by bassist <a href="spotify:artist:5LsJg8QYqTTCiGpHHHH6pu">Jeff Montano</a> (the New Mexicans), guitarist Curtis Hall (the Jeunes), multi-instrumentalist Ron Lewis (who maintained a solo career under the name Ghost Stories), and drummer Thomas Wright.

With a sound inspired by such '70s acts as <a href="spotify:artist:1CYsQCypByMVgnv17qsSbQ">Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:0ECwFtbIWEVNwjlrfc6xoL">the Eagles</a> (complete with multi-part harmonies), Grand Archives made their live debut during the spring of 2007, opening for Brooke's former bandmate <a href="spotify:artist:3wC39cIBlyNFSP8bO84FCJ">Cahoone</a> at a Seattle venue. They subsequently toured with <a href="spotify:artist:1yAwtBaoHLEDWAnWR87hBT">Modest Mouse</a> while preparing their self-titled debut album for Sub Pop, which the label released in February 2008. Keep in Mind Frankenstein followed one year later, featuring a similarly harmony-rich sound as its predecessor. ~ Stewart Mason, Rovi