Au

Hailing from Portland, Oregon, the band Au matches the experimental leanings of Terry Riley and Philip Glass with those of Grizzly Bear and Animal Collective. Singer and songwriter Luke Wyland launched the project in 2005 during his studies at the Massachusetts College of Art. Once he settled in Portland, Wyland assembled a shifting roster of local players that included drummers Mark Kaylor and Dana Vlatka plus multi-instrumentalist Jonathan Sielaff. Their self-titled 2007 debut, which fused bluegrass, contemporary classical, and indie rock, drew strong notice from city papers and web outlets alike; the Portland Mercury placed it at number two on its year-end list of Portland releases, and both Stereogum and Pitchfork covered it favorably. The follow-up album Verbs appeared in summer 2008, and the Versions EP followed the next year with new interpretations of songs from Verbs. Vlatka and Wyland reunited for Both Lights in 2012, drawing fully on their shared classical and jazz experience.