Arthur & Yu are an American indie folk band from Seattle, Washington, United States. Their sound has been compared to that of various 1960s bands, as well as an aesthetic appeal of John Lennon/Yoko Ono.[2] The duo's title has its roots from childhood nicknames, 'Arthur' and 'Yu', for Olsen and Westcott, respectively.[3] They have been touring across the U.S. in promotion of their debut, In Camera. They were also featured on Dntel's album, Dumb Luck.
Arthur & Yu | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Seattle, Washington, United States |
| Genres | Indie folk Alternative |
| Years active | 2006-present |
| Labels | Memphis Industries Stomp Records & Records Hardly Art[1] |
| Members | Grant Olsen Sonya Westcott |
| Website | Official Record Label Site |
History
editOlsen stumbled upon Westcott, who had a stint as the bassist for Rogue Wave, through a Craigslist ad, and they were both intrigued at each other's influences. The two met up and began playing demos of each other's songs.[4] The duo originally began playing music in with each other in one another's homes, moving up to local bar shows, without intent of being 'discovered' or signed to a record label. According to a Portland Mercury interview, Olsen explains that the songs were never meant to travel beyond the two, but Sub Pop founder Jonathan Poneman wished to release the songs on his new record label Hardly Art.[5]
In Camera
editHaving drawn some comparisons to Velvet Underground,[5] the two developed a steady fanbase shortly after their debut In Camera was released on June 19, 2007. The album's name is perhaps a nod to an early film editing technique, but it could also be a reference to the judicial term which can loosely be defined as a secret or private deliberation process.[6] The two have also been featured on Dntel's record Dumb Luck on the fifth track, titled The Distance. The official video can be found here. The band has toured the United States and Japan in support of their debut with bands such as Iron & Wine, Broken Social Scene, Great Lake Swimmers, and The Album Leaf.[7]
Discography
editAlbums
edit- In Camera (June 19, 2007)
Collaborations
editReferences
edit- ^ Official MySpace Page myspace.com, contains mp3 previews as well as news and background information, retrieved March 15, 2008
- ^ Under the Radar Magazine's Review of A&Y Archived July 5, 2008, at the Wayback Machine, Undertheradarmag.com, retrieved on March 15, 2008
- ^ A&Y's Record Label Webpage Archived March 15, 2008, at the Wayback Machine Hardlyart.com, contains biography, discography, etc., retrieved March 15, 2008
- ^ Billboard Biography[dead link] Billboard.com, contains biography and other useful information, retrieved March 15, 2008
- ^ a b Portland Mercury Interview & Review of A&Y Portlandmercury.com, retrieved March 15, 2008
- ^ iTunes Album Listing, Phobos.apple.com, contains tracks available for purchase, information, etc., retrieved March 15, 2008
- ^ MySpace tour listing Archived May 20, 2011, at the Wayback Machine Collect.myspace.com, reveals show locations and times, according to the band, retrieved March 15, 2008