Biography
Ages and Ages deliver a pastoral, psychedelic sound reminiscent of frontman Tim Perry’s earlier project Pseudosix, yet their sunshiny vocal harmonies—rooted in tent-revival traditions—inject an effervescence capable of dispelling even the gloomiest Pacific Northwest weather. Following the 2011 full-length debut Alright You Restless, subsequent releases Something to Ruin in 2016 and Me You They We in 2019 preserved that buoyant spirit while confronting mounting economic and sociopolitical pressures.
After Pseudosix disbanded, Perry grew disillusioned with the apparent indifference he encountered in Portland’s music community. In 2008 he therefore assembled Ages and Ages as a deliberate antidote, enlisting multi-instrumentalists—including ex-Pseudosix collaborator Kate O’Brien-Clarke along with Rob Oberdorfer, John McDonald, Graham Mackenzie, Daniel Hunt, and Lisa Stringfield—to execute both his detailed instrumental charts and expansive vocal arrangements. The group secured a deal with Knitting Factory and tracked their debut under producer Kevin Robinson, yielding Alright You Restless, which surfaced in early 2011 and was promoted with a national tour and SXSW appearances.
A series of personal losses and sweeping personnel shifts soon halted their momentum; Becca Schultz and Annie Bethancourt came aboard as O’Brien-Clarke, Stringfield, Hunt, and others exited. The reconfigured lineup entered the studio in 2013 with producer Tony Lash—known for his work with Elliott Smith and the Dandy Warhols—to cut Divisionary, issued in 2014 on Partisan Records. Retaining the band’s luminous aesthetic, the album charted on Billboard’s Heatseekers Albums and Next Big Sound lists.
Against the backdrop of Portland’s gentrification and soaring housing costs, Something to Ruin emerged in 2016, recorded at Isaac Brock’s Ice Cream Party studio; the Modest Mouse singer contributed vocals to the track “So Hazy.” Their follow-up, Me You They We, appeared in 2019 through Needle & Thread Entertainment amid continued membership flux, spotlighting core figures Perry and Oberdorfer alongside returning percussionists and backing vocalists Bethancourt and Sarah Riddle.
After Pseudosix disbanded, Perry grew disillusioned with the apparent indifference he encountered in Portland’s music community. In 2008 he therefore assembled Ages and Ages as a deliberate antidote, enlisting multi-instrumentalists—including ex-Pseudosix collaborator Kate O’Brien-Clarke along with Rob Oberdorfer, John McDonald, Graham Mackenzie, Daniel Hunt, and Lisa Stringfield—to execute both his detailed instrumental charts and expansive vocal arrangements. The group secured a deal with Knitting Factory and tracked their debut under producer Kevin Robinson, yielding Alright You Restless, which surfaced in early 2011 and was promoted with a national tour and SXSW appearances.
A series of personal losses and sweeping personnel shifts soon halted their momentum; Becca Schultz and Annie Bethancourt came aboard as O’Brien-Clarke, Stringfield, Hunt, and others exited. The reconfigured lineup entered the studio in 2013 with producer Tony Lash—known for his work with Elliott Smith and the Dandy Warhols—to cut Divisionary, issued in 2014 on Partisan Records. Retaining the band’s luminous aesthetic, the album charted on Billboard’s Heatseekers Albums and Next Big Sound lists.
Against the backdrop of Portland’s gentrification and soaring housing costs, Something to Ruin emerged in 2016, recorded at Isaac Brock’s Ice Cream Party studio; the Modest Mouse singer contributed vocals to the track “So Hazy.” Their follow-up, Me You They We, appeared in 2019 through Needle & Thread Entertainment amid continued membership flux, spotlighting core figures Perry and Oberdorfer alongside returning percussionists and backing vocalists Bethancourt and Sarah Riddle.
Albums
Singles
