Derby

Portland, Oregon’s hometown alt-weekly the Willamette Week has called Derby “… one of those rare groups with a sound that's instantly familiar and yet 100 percent original. Hummable melodies and thick, cascading harmonies conjure up remnants of a long-gone era, while clever lyrics and polished songwriting place Derby among today's great young bands.”

The release of their self-produced debut, “This is the New You” (Green Submarine Records, 2005), recorded in their home studio in Portland, OR, put Derby on top ten lists around the country. Their vocally-driven, vintage-tinged pop-rock received comparisons to the Shins, Sloan and Brendan Benson, and critical acclaim was instantaneous. Derby was labeled one of the Best New Bands in Portland by the Willamette Week, and their wildly frenetic live show led to successful touring up and down the West Coast and beyond. Derby regularly sells out shows in their hometown, and has played to capacity crowds at Spaceland in L.A. with the 88, and at the Mercury Lounge in New York City with the Robbers on High Street. Their highly-acclaimed slots at South by Southwest, MusicFest NW and Bumbershoot, were highlights of the festivals, fueled by rumors of lonely bartenders whose customers forgot about refills during Derby’s mesmerizing sets.

Over the first year and a half of Derby's life, these DIY darlings garnered critical acclaim—AbsolutePowerPop.com’s 2005 Album of the Year; countless top ten lists—and shared the stage with the Decemberists, Cake, Magic Numbers, British Sea Power, the Minus Five, Robyn Hitchcock, Youth Group, Violent Femmes, Great Northern, Imperial Teen, Badly Drawn Boy, and Rogue Wave, just to name a few. After non-stop performing and touring in support of "This is the New You," the band took a break from the stage to concentrate on the surplus of new material they had developed.

In early 2007, they buried themselves in their home studio once again. This time, with constant touring bringing the band even closer, they wrote an album that laid bare the intimacies of a creative force—harmonies that meld one band member into another, hand claps that emphasize their organic energy, and driving guitars that propel the band into their energetic future. Self-proclaimed "studio nerds," Derby have found amidst structure and mechanical knobs a warmth and energy that is both accessible and enduring. That product is the 14-song pop masterpiece, "Posters Fade," which will be released nationally on June 17th, 2008.

In addition to being prolific songwriters, Derby is also celebrated for their incredible live shows, so look for them on tour throughout 2008. Expect to hear songs crop up in film and television, as their previous work has been placed in the ABC TV shows What About Brian, Men in Trees, Eli Stone, and Notes from the Underbelly.

DERBY Nat Johnson – vocals, guitar David Gulick – keys, guitar, vocals Isaac Frost – drums www.derbyrock.com www.myspace.com/derbyrock