Seam began as a trio out of Chapel Hill, NC, with Sooyoung Park (guitars/vocals) and Lexi Mitchell (bass) of
Bitch Magnet and
Mac McCaughan (drums) of
Superchunk. Their first album,
Headsparks, released in 1992, was filled with the slow, affecting melodies and vocals that would become their trademark. After the release of that record,
McCaughan left the group to pursue
Superchunk full time, and the rest of
Seam moved headquarters to Chicago. Bob Rising replaced
McCaughan and
Craig White joined on as an additional guitarist, turning
Seam into a quartet. 1993's
The Problem With Me featured this new lineup and slightly more upbeat sounds.
Are You Driving Me Crazy, released in 1995, features an entirely new lineup except for
Park -- the band currently consists of drummer Chris Manfrin, bassist William Shin, and guitarist Reg Shrader -- but continues in the line of moody and challenging
Seam releases, making their musical quality a constant in an ever-changing band.
The Pace Is Glacial followed in 1998. ~ Heather Phares