It started, more or less, 25 years ago when vocalist James O’Connell and guitarist Hugh Simmons took a breather from Creative Writing classes to knock out a couple of pop songs together, just to see what they’d come up with (by chance, they’d learned that they both liked “Fear of Music” by Talking Heads and, unlike most of their peers, “Sugar Sugar” by the Archies). From the get-go—a catchy absurdity called “Young Writers In Love”—they knew they were musical soulmates: a pure love of melody, the necessity for irony, and a wistful sincerity just under the surface.

They survived the Peace Corps and a graduate poetry program to join up again in NYC for a long run of recording projects, and ultimately, a band that played out. Joined by drummer Rob Speck, their songs got a much-needed boost. It was also a boost of resolve. more >>