Album Notes

The Turn-ons formed in 1997 in Seattle when singer/guitarist Travis DeVries met musically like-minded guitarist, Corey Gutch. The two were soon joined by bassist Sharon Oshima and drummer Will Hallauer. Producer/multi-instrumentalist Erik Blood was added to the band in late 2000, and the lineup was, at last, complete.

The band spent much of 2001 promoting their debut album The Turn-ons, playing sold-out shows in Seattle and San Francisco with bands such as the Strokes, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and Imperial Teen, and tirelessly writing and recording new material. They caught the eye of REM's Peter Buck who described the band in his column for Q magazine, as "...simply my favourite new Seattle band. If I said that their sound was a combination of the Velvets, T. Rex and Spiritualized with a dash of Yo La Tengo, it wouldn't do them justice."

For their second release, a five-song EP titled, Love Ruined Us, The Turn-ons were committed to guitar driven pop, while expanding their space-glam-rock sound via soaring string arrangements, and fully indulging in their penchant for epic, anthemic ballads. The EP was selected for the SPIN College Radio show, John Kennedy's X-Posure show in the UK on XFM 104.9, and KEXP 90.3FM - establishing the band as a regular in-studio guest.

In 2004 The Turn-ons released their second full-length East. From the tight, raw guitar-roar of 'Neighborhood Killer', to the intricate harmonies of 'Sunday Afternoon', to the reverb-drenched melancholy of 'Won't Come Home', The Turn-ons created a rock album that delivered on the promises of Love Ruined Us, and explored a new sound. Response to East was overwhelmingly positive, garnering praise from SPIN Magazine (4/04) as one of the best new bands in the northwest. Tracks from East were selected for samplers from UNCUT Magazine and ASCAP.

East also caught the attention of Engineer/Producer Paul Mahajan (The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, T.V. On the Radio), whom the band met during a string of NYC showcases. With Mahajan’s assistance, The Turn-ons continue their search for new sonic architectures in pop music on their third full-length release, Parallels. Opening with the explosive and stunning ‘A Thousand Years’ and ending with the haunting, dystopian ‘Behind the Stars’, Parallels envelopes you in a 46-minute permanent dream state. From the soaring and poignant epics “Strange as Snow” and ‘Eastern Hollows’ to the tight and elegant pop of ‘Adhesives’ and ‘Most of Us’, The Turn-ons further establish themselves as a band beyond comparison.

Prior the release of Parallels, Oshima left the band. Surprisingly, the loss of one member invigorated the band to rethink each member’s role. The Turn-ons are now multi-instrumentalists. Their new-found creative energy, evident in recent live performances, carries over into their current recording project - a follow-up to Parallels.