Memphis

Torquil Campbell and Chris Dumont create the mesmerizing experimental sounds of Memphis. Dumont, a North Carolina native, met Campbell while working in New York City in the early '90s. Both had formed a band with fellow Canucks Chris Seligman, James Shaw, and Adam Marvy. The stint was short-lived, for Seligman and Campbell went on to form <a href="spotify:artist:2EO56JK4txid1Pss9GVbOL">Stars</a> while Shaw connected with <a href="spotify:artist:0g9SI3fQvQdbDvb20pPF5M">Emily Haines</a> for the synth pop outfit <a href="spotify:artist:1rCIEwPp5OnXW0ornlSsRl">Metric</a>. In summer 2002, while vacationing in Campbell's hometown of Vancouver, Dumont and his longtime friend finally put their creative ideas to paper; thus, the intricate jazz-influenced tinkerings of Memphis were born. The A Good Day Sailing EP marked the Canadian-American duo's debut that same year. Two years later, the lush pop illustrations of I Dreamed We Fell Apart arrived on the Toronto-based imprint <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Paper+Bag%22">Paper Bag</a>. For 2006's A Little Place in the Wilderness, Memphis showcased a more relaxed, acoustic guitar-based sound; it marked their first release for Good Fences and featured additional instrumentation from Shaw (bass/trumpet), <a href="spotify:artist:2Odm8gTLPO2qhpf5HT87d2">Erik Hove</a> (saxophone), and <a href="spotify:artist:5Tq68aBlqnrxVCGOA3aDCg">Jon Hyde</a> (pedal steel guitar). Memphis returned in 2011 with the '80s jangle and indie pop-influenced Here Comes a City. ~ MacKenzie Wilson, Rovi