The Color Bars

Before launching his solo career, Gerald Slevin was the chief songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and vocalist of Brooklyn NY’s psychedelic, vocal harmony-driven art-pop outfit, <a href="spotify:artist:2A6RwyjN9IaBLX0XjBaOwe" data-name="The Color Bars">The Color Bars</a>. Along with bandmates Dave Spelber (drums) and John English (guitar), the band emerged in the mid-2000s with the eclectic self-recorded <a href="spotify:album:4nFYO0Ii5xpRAnfNBeufKD" data-name="The Color Bars EP">The Color Bars EP</a>. Hot on its heels followed the regionally acclaimed underground-sleeper LP, <a href="spotify:album:0Ftu5fwxK9BJuvgjCif1XS" data-name="Making Playthings">Making Playthings</a>, which established their signature layered production, whimsical arrangements, and Beatlesque vocals. The Color Bars performed and toured for several years throughout the US, sharing bills with artists like <a href="spotify:artist:2cCUtGK9sDU2EoElnk0GNB" data-name="The National">The National</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:1rCIEwPp5OnXW0ornlSsRl" data-name="Metric">Metric</a>. They eventually played SXSW, which led to a record deal with Japanese label, 5D. A subsequent tour of Japan and relocation from their native NYC to Seattle resulted in the expansive concept album, <a href="spotify:album:3z9ssiFQkBZrruNqnVF6jR" data-name="Kairos At Infinity">Kairos At Infinity</a>, which raised the bar for Slevin’s imaginative lyrics and the band’s meticulously layered self-production. The band’s live show was filled out with a variety of new musicians, including members of <a href="spotify:artist:5xeBMeW0YzWIXSVzAxhM8O" data-name="of Montreal">of Montreal</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:2xLEV2jDreAOcpJXFNoXyt" data-name="Hurray For The Riff Raff">Hurray For The Riff Raff</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:0lqeNK72rVwuLwWOkNOoKD" data-name="Pickwick">Pickwick</a>. The Color Bars returned to Brooklyn in the 2010s and released the synth-pop masterpiece, <a href="spotify:album:4QkN2cQpyRDHqKNNX8wfBj" data-name="Prosopopoeia">Prosopopoeia</a>, which ended up being their most sweeping and ambitious work to date. After releasing a string of singles in the late 2010s, the band amicably went on hiatus as Slevin began to focus on his solo efforts.