Arthur & Yu

Seattle-based duo Arthur & Yu swiftly earned devoted followings across both regional and nationwide circuits thanks to their atmospheric, gently psychedelic folk-rock compositions paired with warm, intimate vocal blends. Grant Olsen, a Washington native who returned to his home state in the early 2000s to pursue music, connected with Sonya Westcott after she had spent time playing bass in Rogue Wave and had moved north from San Francisco to the Pacific Northwest. Their introduction came via a Craigslist listing that highlighted Westcott’s affinity for Lee Hazlewood, Karen Dalton, and Melanie. The pair soon teamed up to cut homemade recordings of Olsen’s material, choosing their band name from the childhood nicknames each had once answered to—“Arthur” for Olsen among friends and “Yu” for Westcott among her circle. Those early Arthur & Yu tapes began circulating among independent labels while the duo launched modest live performances, eventually drawing the notice of Jonathan Poneman, co-founder of Seattle’s Sub Pop Records. At the time Poneman was preparing to start Hardly Art Records, and the strength of the demos led him to sign Arthur & Yu as the new imprint’s inaugural act, issuing the unpolished tracks in June 2007 under the title In Camera. Critics responded with strong praise, prompting the duo to tour extensively throughout the United States, both headlining and supporting Iron & Wine and Kevin Drew.