Biography
The indie folk duo Damon & Naomi emerged when drummer Damon Krukowski and bassist/vocalist Naomi Yang began working together in the wake of Galaxie 500’s dissolution. Their music shifted from hushed, reverb-laden indie rock toward a near-ambient folk approach, growing even more restrained on the 1998 album Playback Singers. Frequent collaborations shaped their trajectory, from dividing efforts between the duo and psych rock band the Magic Hour to appearances with Pearls Before Swine’s Tom Rapp and a lasting partnership with Japanese band Ghost that spanned tours and joint recordings, extending through the 2021 release A Sky Record featuring Ghost guitarist and unofficial third member Michio Kurihara.
Following Galaxie 500’s 1991 breakup, Krukowski and Yang intended to leave music behind, embittered by the group’s acrimonious end and without a label after Rough Trade’s bankruptcy. Having launched the small surrealist publishing house Exact Change the previous year, they issued one 1991 EP as Pierre Etoile before concentrating on that enterprise. Occasional songwriting persisted, however, and producer Kramer, who had overseen all three Galaxie 500 albums, approached the pair about recording for his Shimmy Disc label. After several refusals they consented and headed to Kramer’s Noise New Jersey studios.
Dropping the Pierre Etoile moniker, they released the 1991 LP More Sad Hits as Damon & Naomi; Krukowski supplied vocals, guitar, and percussion while Yang handled vocals and bass, extending the spectral atmosphere of their earlier work into a more emotionally open setting. Another withdrawal from activity followed until they served as the rhythm section for the Magic Hour, touring and completing three well-regarded albums in the mid-’90s. The duo returned in 1995 with The Wondrous World of Damon & Naomi on Sub Pop; after the Magic Hour disbanded, they issued the 1997 single “The Navigator” and the 1998 album Playback Singers, again on Sub Pop.
Their work with Ghost yielded the 2000 album Damon & Naomi with Ghost. Two years later the CD/DVD Song to the Siren: Live in San Sebastian appeared, with Ghost guitarist Michio Kurihara participating and remaining central to the duo’s live performances and recordings. After departing Sub Pop to establish their own 20/20/20 imprint, they released The Earth Is Blue in 2005 and Within These Walls in 2007. Following an extended hiatus that included the compilation The Sub Pop Years drawn from earlier Sub Pop material, their seventh studio album, False Beats and True Hearts, arrived in early summer 2011. Maintaining their customary measured pace, the pair issued Fortune in early 2015; the soundtrack to a silent film of the same name directed by Yang, it stood as their most intimate recording to date. The 2019 compilation In the 21st Century collected highlights from the 20/20/20 catalog, while 2021 brought A Sky Record, the first new material since Fortune, recorded partly in Tokyo with Kurihara on guitar.
Following Galaxie 500’s 1991 breakup, Krukowski and Yang intended to leave music behind, embittered by the group’s acrimonious end and without a label after Rough Trade’s bankruptcy. Having launched the small surrealist publishing house Exact Change the previous year, they issued one 1991 EP as Pierre Etoile before concentrating on that enterprise. Occasional songwriting persisted, however, and producer Kramer, who had overseen all three Galaxie 500 albums, approached the pair about recording for his Shimmy Disc label. After several refusals they consented and headed to Kramer’s Noise New Jersey studios.
Dropping the Pierre Etoile moniker, they released the 1991 LP More Sad Hits as Damon & Naomi; Krukowski supplied vocals, guitar, and percussion while Yang handled vocals and bass, extending the spectral atmosphere of their earlier work into a more emotionally open setting. Another withdrawal from activity followed until they served as the rhythm section for the Magic Hour, touring and completing three well-regarded albums in the mid-’90s. The duo returned in 1995 with The Wondrous World of Damon & Naomi on Sub Pop; after the Magic Hour disbanded, they issued the 1997 single “The Navigator” and the 1998 album Playback Singers, again on Sub Pop.
Their work with Ghost yielded the 2000 album Damon & Naomi with Ghost. Two years later the CD/DVD Song to the Siren: Live in San Sebastian appeared, with Ghost guitarist Michio Kurihara participating and remaining central to the duo’s live performances and recordings. After departing Sub Pop to establish their own 20/20/20 imprint, they released The Earth Is Blue in 2005 and Within These Walls in 2007. Following an extended hiatus that included the compilation The Sub Pop Years drawn from earlier Sub Pop material, their seventh studio album, False Beats and True Hearts, arrived in early summer 2011. Maintaining their customary measured pace, the pair issued Fortune in early 2015; the soundtrack to a silent film of the same name directed by Yang, it stood as their most intimate recording to date. The 2019 compilation In the 21st Century collected highlights from the 20/20/20 catalog, while 2021 brought A Sky Record, the first new material since Fortune, recorded partly in Tokyo with Kurihara on guitar.
Albums
Singles
