Built to Spill

The Boise, Idaho-based indie rock band Built to Spill occupies an intersection between postmodern pop in the manner of Pavement and the expansive, free-form jamming associated with Neil Young. Serving as the primary outlet for singer, songwriter, and guitarist Doug Martsch, who drew substantial influence from Dinosaur Jr.’s J Mascis, the project sustained the archetype of the indie guitar hero. In the studio Martsch assembled layered, elaborately intertwined guitar textures as arranger, while onstage his raw, improvisational solos established the group’s identity as a dynamic and unpredictable concert draw. Early releases retained traces of punk informality, yet as Martsch’s compositional approach deepened he produced dense, emotionally charged material capable of resonating both viscerally and sonically. The critical achievement of 1994’s There’s Nothing Wrong with Love secured a Warner Bros. contract, resulting in a sequence of albums anchored by alt-rock landmarks Perfect from Now On and Keep It Like a Secret. Even after the close of the 1990s the ensemble maintained momentum; despite repeated personnel shifts and evolving musical trends, Martsch adhered to his foundational approach, so that 2015’s Untethered Moon and 2022’s When the Wind Forgets Your Name retain clear continuity with prior work while reflecting greater refinement.

The group coalesced in Boise in 1993, not long after Martsch exited Treepeople, a band rooted in Boise yet based in Seattle. Martsch, who had spent his formative years in Twin Falls, Idaho, assembled his initial group, Farm Days, alongside bassist Brett Nelson and drummer Andy Capps during high-school years in the mid-1980s. Following his relocation to Boise, Martsch collaborated with alumni of the local hardcore outfit State of Confusion to establish Treepeople, which moved to Seattle in 1988. The band issued multiple albums and EPs on the regional indie C/Z that presented a distinctive variant of early Northwestern grunge. Eventually wearying of extensive touring obligations, Martsch left after the 1993 album Just Kidding and, notwithstanding Seattle’s ongoing prominence, returned to Boise for renewal.

Martsch launched the original Built to Spill configuration with bassist and guitarist Brett Netson, also of Boise’s Caustic Resin, and drummer Ralf Youtz. Retaining ties to C/Z, the band issued its debut Ultimate Alternative Wavers in 1993, on which Martsch credited himself as “Dug.” He subsequently transferred the project to another Seattle indie, Up Records, and reconstituted the rhythm section to realize his vision of Built to Spill as a flexible collective permitting work with varied musicians. The new lineup featured bassist Brett Nelson—his Farm Days colleague rather than Netson—and drummer Andy Capps, who had previously joined Nelson in Butterfly Train.

Joined by cellist John McMahon and several former Treepeople members as guests, Built to Spill achieved a notable artistic advance with the widely praised 1994 album There’s Nothing Wrong with Love. Working with producer and engineer Phil Ek, who became a recurring collaborator, Martsch refined his fragmented songwriting and meticulous arrangements into a distinctive example of idiosyncratic indie guitar pop. That same year he initiated a side project with Beat Happening’s Calvin Johnson, K Records principal, yielding the first of three Halo Benders albums. A subsequent Built to Spill lineup comprising ex-Lync members James Bertram on bass and Dave Schneider on drums convened solely for 1995 live performances across North America and Europe, including appearances on Lollapalooza’s second stage.

Favorable reaction to There’s Nothing Wrong with Love, amplified by Lollapalooza visibility, generated industry interest, and before year’s end Martsch secured a Warner Bros. agreement preserving substantial artistic autonomy. Concurrently he and Brett Nelson rejoined Brett Netson and additional Caustic Resin personnel for the collaborative EP Built to Spill Caustic Resin on Up. In early 1996 K Records released the rarities compilation The Normal Years, documenting 1993–1995 and encompassing contributions from multiple lineups.

Martsch next focused on the major-label debut. Initial sessions with drummer Peter Lansdowne, omitting a bassist, proved unsuitable for the broader compositions he envisioned; he reinstated Brett Nelson, added former Spinanes drummer Scott Plouf, and re-recorded the material after the original masters were compromised. The third attempt succeeded, incorporating additional guitar from Brett Netson. Issued in 1997, Perfect from Now On comprised extended, atmospheric pieces that garnered strong notices and enlarged the audience. Wishing to avoid repeated instruction of the catalog, Martsch thereafter designated Nelson and Plouf permanent members. Songs for the follow-up originated, for the first time, through full-band improvisation rather than solely Martsch’s writing. Retaining those collaborative origins, Keep It Like a Secret nevertheless delivered the most concise set of compositions yet and received some of the strongest reviews upon its 1999 release; it also marked the band’s first appearance on the pop charts. Quasi’s Sam Coomes, previously of Heatmiser, supplied keyboard contributions. Responding to fan requests, the 2000 live album assembled performances from the supporting tour, featuring supplementary guitar from Brett Netson and Jim Roth, with Phil Ek editing recordings from three separate shows.

The next studio effort, 2001’s Ancient Melodies of the Future, elicited responses spanning enthusiasm to detachment. The ensuing year Martsch issued the solo album Now You Know, exploring traditional folk and blues. Following an extended hiatus from new releases, the reconstituted quartet of Martsch, Nelson, Plouf, and Roth, augmented by guitarist Brett Netson, returned with the acclaimed 2006 album You in Reverse. Touring commenced shortly after, and sessions for the subsequent record produced the 2007 single “They Got Away.” Further studio work in 2008 yielded There Is No Enemy, produced by Martsch and David Trumfio and released in October 2009; the group toured in support and contributed a cover of “Reel Around the Fountain” to the Smiths tribute Please, Please, Please.

During early recording of the next album, Plouf and Nelson departed; roadie Jason Albertini, formerly of Duster, assumed bass duties while live sound engineer Steve Gere took the drum chair. Built to Spill abandoned the existing recordings, reconvened with the revised lineup, and enlisted Sam Coomes as co-producer alongside Martsch. Still on Warner Bros., the band delivered its eighth studio album, Untethered Moon, in early 2015. Following the tour, Martsch elected further personnel changes. The trio of Martsch, Albertini, and Gere undertook a West Coast run in 2016 and, in 2018, backed Daniel Johnston for two performances; an album of covers with Martsch on vocals appeared two years later under the title Plays the Songs of Daniel Johnston.

Around this period Martsch abandoned efforts to maintain continuity and adopted a revolving-membership model, engaging additional musicians as required. While assembling a touring unit for Brazilian dates he recruited Le Almeida and João Casaes of Oruã, two Built to Spill enthusiasts, on bass and drums. The collaboration proved successful, leading the pair to participate in a 2019 tour marking the twentieth anniversary of Keep It Like a Secret. The same trio recorded an album, with Almeida and Casaes tracking rhythms and Martsch overdubbing guitars and vocals. Mixed remotely, the project appeared on Sub Pop, the band’s debut for the label. When the Wind Forgets Your Name surfaced in late 2022, embodying the defining traits of earlier Built to Spill releases through Martsch’s distinctive vocals and the juxtaposition of ringing and heavily distorted guitars.