Churchill

Tim Bruns, who handles vocals, songwriting, and guitar, teamed with mandolinist Michael Morter in 2008 to launch Denver, Colorado indie folk-rock band Churchill. The project reached sextet size ahead of its first stage appearance in 2009, enriching Bruns’ grounded, Americana-flavored stories of romance, existence, and grief via cello, piano, bass, and drums. Their opening EP drew widespread notice, establishing the group as hometown staples and fast-rising national prospects; this exposure secured a coveted South by Southwest slot and earned praise from local and distant critics who likened the sound to the Avett Brothers and Band of Horses. Churchill issued its first full-length studio album, Happy Sad, in 2011.