Short Biography
When vocalist/guitarist/keyboardist Zach Rogue, former band member of the Desoto Reds, was laid off from a dead end job with a web development company, he used it as an opportunity to fly to New York in pursuit of a new musical direction. Armed with a handful of quirky pop tunes, he recorded them in a makeshift studio with producer/friend Bill Racine. The tracks they produced later became Rogue Wave's debut album, 2003's Out of the Shadow. Critics praised the album's haunting tunes (marked by Rogue's lilting vocals), comparing them to the likes of Simon & Garfunkel and Yo La Tengo. Rogue assembled a band in order to tour with his new collection of songs, and the ...
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Short Biography
When vocalist/guitarist/keyboardist Zach Rogue, former band member of the Desoto Reds, was laid off from a dead end job with a web development company, he used it as an opportunity to fly to New York in pursuit of a new musical direction. Armed with a handful of quirky pop tunes, he recorded them in a makeshift studio with producer/friend Bill Racine. The tracks they produced later became Rogue Wave's debut album, 2003's Out of the Shadow. Critics praised the album's haunting tunes (marked by Rogue's lilting vocals), comparing them to the likes of Simon & Garfunkel and Yo La Tengo. Rogue assembled a band in order to tour with his new collection of songs, and the San Francisco Bay Area based Rogue Wave have since then taken the indie world by storm. Their sophomore release, 2005's Descended Like Vultures (also produced by Racine) was a departure from their debut--with larger production and darker, more aggressive instrumentation--but Rogue's characteristic spectral vocals remained. They became local indie heroes and their fame extended nationwide when they toured with the established Indie pop outfit, The Shins.
Similar Artists: Death Cab for Cutie, Elliott Smith, Neutral Milk Hotel, The Shins, Yo La Tengo
In-depth Biography
Rogue Wave was formed in 2002 when Zach Rogue took off from his San Francisco home, headed for New York, and came home with nearly a full album's worth of songs recorded. Rogue then quit his post in his previous group, the Desoto Reds, and finished the album, which was released on Rogue's own Responsive label under the title of Out of the Shadow. As he was completing the record, Rogue decided to form a band to promote it and soon hooked up with drummer/keyboardist Pat Spurgeon, bassist Sonya Westcott, and guitarist Gram LeBron. This outfit played shows in 2003 with the likes of Spoon, Mates of State, and other indie rock big shots. Sub Pop was impressed by the band and the record, and reissued Out of the Shadow in 2004. At some point, Westcott was replaced in the lineup by Evan Farrell and the band began recording their second album. The first result of their efforts was the 10:1 single, released in August 2005, and it showed off a slicker and more produced sound that managed to hold on to much of what made the first record an artistic success. Descended Like Vultures followed in late 2005. Songs from the album appeared on television shows like Weeds, Friday Night Lights, and Heroes, and the band kept to a hectic touring schedule. In 2006 they were forced to take time off as drummer Pat Spurgeon was sidelined by a kidney ailment that required a transplant and other bandmembers dealt with death (LeBron's father) and birth (Rogue's new daughter). The group also lost bassist Farrell and replaced him with Patrick Abernathy (formerly with Beulah). As if that weren't enough tribulation, the band couldn't come to terms with Sub Pop for future albums and was let go. They found a suitable label soon after, as their friend Jack Johnson signed them to his Brushfire imprint and released their third album, Asleep at Heaven's Gate, in autumn 2007. ~ Tim Sendra, All Music Guide
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