* En anglais uniquement
Torquil Campbell and
Chris Dumont create the mesmerizing experimental sounds of
Memphis.
Dumont, a North Carolina native, met
Campbell while working in New York City in the early '90s. Both had formed a band with fellow Canucks
Chris Seligman,
James Shaw, and
Adam Marvy. The stint was short-lived, for
Seligman and
Campbell went on to form
Stars while
Shaw connected with
Emily Haines for the synth pop outfit
Metric. In summer 2002, while vacationing in
Campbell's hometown of Vancouver,
Dumont and his longtime friend finally put their creative ideas to paper; thus, the intricate jazz-influenced tinkerings of
Memphis were born. The A Good Day Sailing EP marked the Canadian-American duo's debut that same year. Two years later, the lush pop illustrations of I Dreamed We Fell Apart arrived on the Toronto-based imprint Paper Bag. For 2006's A Little Place in the Wilderness,
Memphis showcased a more relaxed, acoustic guitar-based sound; it marked their first release for Good Fences and featured additional instrumentation from
Shaw (bass/trumpet),
Erik Hove (saxophone), and
Jon Hyde (pedal steel guitar).
Memphis returned in 2011 with the '80s jangle and indie pop-influenced
Here Comes a City. ~ MacKenzie Wilson