ALSO started life as a band in 2003 when they self-recorded their first release, Morning. Since then, they have produced an EP, Send Them Off Smiling (2005), and two full-length studio albums, It Was Fine To Be Kind (2006) and the recently released Music Belongs In The Background (2011). Formed in Los Angeles, ALSO is comprised of Drew Conrad (vocals/guitars), Mark Zelen (bass/keyboards) and Scotland Stephenson (drums/percussion). In August 2011 Emvy joined the ranks on keys, mellotron and effects, rounding up the line-up as a 4-piece.
In describing the concept of the band, frontman Conrad says, "The glass is half empty, true, but it is also half full. We are all aware of this analogy, but the profundity of this seemingly simple concept is very much a constant theme in our music". The concise word itself, "also", sums up contrast as much as open-mindedness, and serves as a constant reminder that even dead-end life situations can be seen from different perspectives. This sophisticated approach is reflected in the band's music. Conrad's vigorous, deep voice grumbles, admonishes, satirizes and praises as he takes on precarious topics such as disorientation, a decline in values, and suicide. Though his lyrics are not for the feint-hearted, the listener is invariably caught by the hopeful spiritedness of the music. The tight and driving rhythm section of Stephenson and Zelen creates a vibrant framework for well-wrought layers of guitars and soundscapes.
Upon release, the band's current release "Music Belongs In The Background" quickly charted in the CMJ Top 200, the premiere chart in the U.S. for measuring the airplay of alternative/independent artists. The album is broad stylistically and emotionally, boasting huge soundscapes coupled with moments of a dark and ethereal moodiness, while maintaining a consistent feel throughout that is very much ALSO's own sound, which makes categorizing it a troublesome task. Yet critics have placed the band somewhere between dreamy Brit pop, post-punk and neo-psychedelic art rock. Some fans like to compare them to Jeff Buckley, The National or The Smiths, while others are intrigued by a sonic fragility described as similar to The Antlers or Elbow. Whether delicate and ghostly or decidedly explosive, their songs never seem unnecessarily pompous: an intimate and profound thoughtfulness hovers over them at all times.
Ultimately ALSO prove their latest effort is anything but what the title suggests: "Even if Music Belongs In The Background needs a couple of spins before it fully unfolds... you can indeed apply words such as gem or masterpiece for the three-piece's sophomore record, as listening to it is like traveling to a band's cosmos from which you can barely escape." (German publication LAXMag, April 2011) Nor does being an unsigned act keep the band at home. Along with their two studio releases, ALSO have self-funded four European underground tours, including stops in the musical capitals of London, Manchester, Liverpool, Glasgow, Paris, and Berlin.
While their records have always featured keyboard lines and alternative melodies, the three could not incorporate them while performing live. Since August 2011 Emvy has been part of the line-up on keyboards, mellotron and effects which brings new influences and dramatically boosts the ethereal nature of the live show. They are currently writing new material and preparing tours through 2012.
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