Andrew Whiteman launched Apostle of Hustle in 2001, shaping its atmospheric post-rock and experimental textures. After spending two months with his godmother's relatives in Cuba, he came back to his hometown of Toronto to pick up songwriting and recording duties alongside Broken Social Scene. During the visit he mastered the tres, the traditional Cuban guitar. While immersed in sessions for the Juno Award-winning You Forgot It in People, Whiteman found himself unable to shake the Spanish musical influences absorbed in El Barrio Santo Suarez. To realize that obsession, bandmates Julian Brown and Dean Stone teamed with him to form the cinematic, Latin-tinged vision that defined Apostle of Hustle. Folkloric Feel appeared on Arts & Crafts in late summer 2004. Whereas the debut had been assembled in the gaps between BSS road commitments, the group devoted extended studio time to the follow-up, bringing in percussionist Daniel Stone plus Stars contributors Evan Cranley and Chris Seligman among additional musicians. National Anthem of Nowhere surfaced in early 2007.
