Devotchka

A fusion of eclectic sources such as cabaret, spaghetti Westerns, norteño, punk, and Eastern European immigrant dance music propelled the Denver-based four-piece DeVotchKa into unexpected indie prominence during the mid-2000s. Alongside acts including Calexico and Gogol Bordello, the group layered worldwide textures onto contemporary indie sounds, achieving broad recognition in 2006 through a Grammy-nominated score for the popular independent feature Little Miss Sunshine. After inking a deal with Anti- in 2008, the quartet issued its pivotal fourth full-length, A Mad & Faithful Telling. Once a global trek supporting the cinematic 2011 release 100 Lovers concluded, DeVotchKa paused activities before reconvening for This Night Falls Forever in 2018.

Multi-instrumentalists Nick Urata on vocals, guitar, and trumpet, Tom Hagerman on violin and accordion, Jeanie Schroder on sousaphone and bass, and percussionist Shawn King assembled the band in Denver. Initially serving as the house ensemble for area burlesque performances, they cut their first album, Supermelodrama, in 2000, which drew considerable praise and led to shared bills with Calexico, 16 Horsepower, Flogging Molly, and Archer Prewitt. Una Volta arrived in May 2003. Released on the Boulder, Colorado independent Cicero, the record was promoted via dates alongside burlesque and fetish performer Dita Von Teese. Their third effort, 2004’s How It Ends, expanded their reach when its title track appeared in a prominent Gears of War 2 advertising push and in the trailer for Everything Is Illuminated. Curse Your Little Heart, a 2006 EP of reinterpretations that featured Siouxsie and the Banshees’ “Last Beat of My Heart” alongside the Velvet Underground’s “Venus in Furs,” preceded their lush contribution to the soundtrack of Little Miss Sunshine, which earned a Grammy nomination for Best Soundtrack and lifted the band into wider visibility.

After joining the respected independent Anti-, DeVotchKa put out A Mad and Faithful Telling in early 2008, which climbed to number nine on the Billboard Heatseekers chart. An extensive international itinerary ensued, encompassing headline appearances at Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, and Bumbershoot. Additional film work arrived with the 2009 comedy I Love You Phillip Morris before the musicians tracked the atmospheric yet exultant 100 Lovers for 2011. Another worldwide circuit followed, culminating in the 2012 concert document Live with the Colorado Symphony recorded with that orchestra. In subsequent years Urata devoted more time to scoring films such as Crazy Stupid Love, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, and Paddington, plus the Netflix series A Series of Unfortunate Events. The group nevertheless reconvened for an extended studio stretch and resurfaced in 2018 with its sixth album, This Night Falls Forever, issued on Concord Records.