Sharing a love for bands like
Doves,
Elbow, and
the Cure,
Cedars formed in Washington, D.C., in early 2004 under the name Cartel and featured Brian Leatherman (vocals/guitar), Luke Mangels (guitar/keyboard), Francisco Lazzaro (bass), and Ed Barnabas (drums). The Safety in Numbers EP surfaced in September 2004, which included two singles released in the U.K. by Bracken Records. In the fall of 2005, the band changed its name to
Cedars. In September 2006 another EP arrived, titled
Another Season, and a big break came for
Cedars when they opened for
Editors in their home city. ~ Kenyon Hopkin