The Polyphonic Spree

It's strangely fitting that a band as profoundly life affirming as The Polyphonic Spree would have their roots in genuine tragedy. The band's frontman Tim DeLaughter originally fronted the psychadelic rock band Tripping Daisy from 1990 until 1999, when the band split because Wes Berggren, their guitarist, tragically died of a drug overdose. As a direct response to losing his friend, DeLaughter lost himself back in the lush, orchestral pop music of his childhood, writing songs indebted to The Beatles, The Electric Light Orchestra and The Beach Boys. Once he realised that the songs he was crafting were good enough to be shared with the world, he recruited twelve other musicians to realize them live and within two weeks they'd put together a half hour set, supporting the likes of Grandaddy and Bright Eyes.

The reaction to their sets was so positive that DeLaughter recruited further twelve musicians (making the band a 25-piece ensemble), and set about recording their set as a demo tape. The demo tape got them signed to 679 Records, who opted to release the tape itself as the band's first album “The Beginning Stages Of... The Polyphonic Spree”. The album was hugely acclaimed and even attracted the attention of David Bowie himself, who in 2002 tapped the band to support The Divine Comedy at London's Royal Festival Hall while he was curating that year's Meltdown Festival. However, the record didn't sell nearly enough to sustain the band, and they were dropped at the start of 2003.

However, 2003 and 2004 would still go on to be banner years for the band, with their song “Light And Day/Reach For The Sun” raising their profile dramatically by appearing in several commercials, TV shows, films and radio. This was capped off by a stint appearing as Bowie's opening act on his Reality Tour, and in 2004, the band signed their second record deal with Hollywood Records. Ever since then, the band has remained one of the most idiosyncratic and beloved cult rock bands of their time, with a further four records to their name and the kind of live shows that truly have to be seen to be believed. We live in an age where many artists are scared to stand out from the crowd, and in response, The Polyphonic Spree do everything can to do just that. For that, they come highly recommended.