Banta

Originating in Echo Park, California, the sextet Banta fuses road-tested classic rock with clever, airplay-friendly indie pop positioned between Fleetwood Mac and Rilo Kiley. Portland, Oregon native Sharaya Mikael formed the project after quitting a desk job in 2010 and relocating to Nashville to pursue music full-time, with its identity taking shape following her 2013 return to the west coast. Drawing on a rotating roster of local players, the quartet fronted by Mikael tracked a self-titled four-song EP alongside producer Andrew Stonestreet (Greylag) and soon became regulars in the active L.A. indie rock circuit. In 2016 the lineup stabilized as a six-piece of Mikael (vocals/guitar), Kristin Hardin (vocals), Jon Marcu (drums), Scott Clear (lead guitar), Steve Oh Grohne (bass), and Alathea Reece (keys), which issued its first studio album, Dark Charms.