Biography
In Akron, Ohio, Patrick Carney and Denise Grollmus launched Churchbuilder as a home-recording endeavor during July 2000. They soon enlisted Erin Carracher, Gabe Fulvimar, and BJ Barbieri to complete the lineup, with early shows taking place on and near the Oberlin College campus. Shelflife Records responded by issuing the group’s first album, Patty Darling, in 2001. That nine-track release foregrounds synthesizers and Moog tones to evoke a fresh strain of new wave. Sharing stages with Mary Timony, Dressy Bessy, Steward, and Trembling Blue Stars helped Churchbuilder establish a foothold within indie-pop circles. Drawing openly on the new-wave style of local heroes Devo along with New Order and OMD, the band reveals a fresh facility for crafting concise pop songs.