Farmer Dave Scher

Since the 1990s, Farmer Dave Scher has anchored the Southern California music community through his work as a solo performer, studio musician, and participant in various experimental indie groups. A West Coast sensibility runs through his output, touching soft rock, psychedelia, beat poetry, and country, and he played central roles in Beachwood Sparks and All Night Radio prior to issuing his first solo album, Flash Forward to the Good Times, in 2009. Renowned for his command of the pedal steel guitar, Scher has contributed to recordings by Elvis Costello, Kurt Vile, Jenny Lewis, and Interpol. In 2020 he issued the solo EP Speak of Love.

Born in Southern California, Scher established himself as a founding member of Beachwood Sparks, the influential Los Angeles indie-pop outfit that blended Laurel Canyon psychedelia with the country-rock leanings of the Byrds. In 2002 he formed the short-lived duo All Night Radio alongside Beachwood Sparks colleague Jimi Hey; the pair disbanded after releasing their only full-length, Spirit Stereo Frequency, on Sub Pop in 2004. He subsequently concentrated on session and production duties, working with Jonathan Rice and Vetiver, until he made his solo bow with Flash Forward to the Good Times, issued by Brooklyn’s Kimado Records in summer 2009. The exploratory set merged soft-rock, album-rock, and indie-pop elements—evoking a blend of Joe Walsh and Beachwood Sparks—and included appearances by producer Thom Monahan, previously associated with Devendra Banhart, along with musicians from Entrance and VietNam.

During the 2010s Scher expanded his résumé by appearing on tracks from Bonnie “Prince” Billy, Kurt Vile, Tame Impala, and Father John Misty, among others. He also teamed with Carlos Niño for the 2017 collaborative album Espacio Especial on the Astrollage imprint. Additional ventures from that period encompass the duo Californiosos and the formation of his backing group the Wizards of the West. He resumed solo activity in 2020 with the EP Speak of Love.