Biography
In late 2009, a 21-year-old Justin Paul Vallesteros began tinkering with basic synth and guitar melodies inside a Stockton, California bedroom, a town whose sole prior music-world connection was its work on Stephen Malkmus' Pavement recordings. Layer upon layer gradually formed the signature Craft Spells atmosphere. Guitarist Frankie Soto soon joined the Seattle-born Vallesteros to cut the smoky dream pop cut "Party Talk," which first carried the project into the blogosphere—an essential promotional avenue for emerging acts from smaller cities at that moment. The resulting lo-fi aesthetic and D.I.Y. coverage generated excitement around the EP Beauty Above All and ultimately secured a deal with Brooklyn-based Captured Tracks.
Home to Beach Fossils and Wild Nothing, the label issued two tracks from the debut EP as a single in fall 2010. The "Party Talk"/"Ramona" 7" balanced cool detachment with insistent rhythms built for dancing and summer heat. Anna Luxx Ryon on synths, Jack Doyle Smith on bass, and Peter Michel on drums completed the lineup, which next released "After the Moment" on 7". Its straightforward '80s pulse could have fit comfortably on Madonna's Immaculate Collection, yet Vallesteros' nearly deadpan, Ian Curtis-influenced vocals anchored the track in the band's emerging signature style.
After declaring early in 2011 that they were recording the debut album Idle Labor and performing several well-received local shows, Craft Spells relocated to Seattle, hometown of the rhythm section and Vallesteros' own birthplace. The shift reflected a desire to present their shimmering indie pop in a city where such sounds felt natural, though it cost them guitarist Frankie Soto, who stayed behind in Stockton. Idle Labor appeared in spring 2011; Fonso Robles replaced Ryon, and the group announced plans for their first European shows. Following a 2012 contribution of the song "Talk About the Past" to a 7" tribute to the Wake, one of their primary influences, the band issued the six-song EP Gallery in May.
Vallesteros relocated to San Francisco shortly afterward, but a severe bout of writer's block prompted a return to his parents' home, where he disconnected from outside distractions and taught himself piano. The instrument helped him overcome the block and resume songwriting. In early 2014 he entered a Seattle studio alongside guitarist Javier Suarez and drummer Andy Lum, shaping a warmer palette augmented by strings for the second album, Nausea. Captured Tracks released the record in June, after which the group embarked on tour.
Home to Beach Fossils and Wild Nothing, the label issued two tracks from the debut EP as a single in fall 2010. The "Party Talk"/"Ramona" 7" balanced cool detachment with insistent rhythms built for dancing and summer heat. Anna Luxx Ryon on synths, Jack Doyle Smith on bass, and Peter Michel on drums completed the lineup, which next released "After the Moment" on 7". Its straightforward '80s pulse could have fit comfortably on Madonna's Immaculate Collection, yet Vallesteros' nearly deadpan, Ian Curtis-influenced vocals anchored the track in the band's emerging signature style.
After declaring early in 2011 that they were recording the debut album Idle Labor and performing several well-received local shows, Craft Spells relocated to Seattle, hometown of the rhythm section and Vallesteros' own birthplace. The shift reflected a desire to present their shimmering indie pop in a city where such sounds felt natural, though it cost them guitarist Frankie Soto, who stayed behind in Stockton. Idle Labor appeared in spring 2011; Fonso Robles replaced Ryon, and the group announced plans for their first European shows. Following a 2012 contribution of the song "Talk About the Past" to a 7" tribute to the Wake, one of their primary influences, the band issued the six-song EP Gallery in May.
Vallesteros relocated to San Francisco shortly afterward, but a severe bout of writer's block prompted a return to his parents' home, where he disconnected from outside distractions and taught himself piano. The instrument helped him overcome the block and resume songwriting. In early 2014 he entered a Seattle studio alongside guitarist Javier Suarez and drummer Andy Lum, shaping a warmer palette augmented by strings for the second album, Nausea. Captured Tracks released the record in June, after which the group embarked on tour.
Albums
Singles
