Cities

Formed in 2004, Cities came together after University of North Carolina student Josh Nowlan, who sang and played guitar, connected with fellow enthusiasts Jeremy Paschall on bass and Robbie Mackey on guitar. Their immediate rapport prompted the three to launch the project together. Not long afterward, Nowlan brought in his high school acquaintance Joey Ingram to handle drums, enabling the quartet to begin composing material and playing shows around local spots. A demo tape drew interest from North Carolina’s Yep Rock Records, which offered the band a deal. During the fall of 2005 the group tracked its self-titled debut at the home studio of Brian Paulson, known for work with Beck and Superchunk; the album appeared the next spring. Several months later the label issued Variations, a companion set of remixes featuring contributions from Fog, Ladytron, and others.