Fiver

Originating in Modesto, California—a Central Valley town situated 90 miles east of San Francisco—singer and guitarist David Woody assembled the initial Fiver configuration during 1993 alongside bassist Luis Fregoso. After a period operating as a trio and multiple shifts involving the drummer and additional guitarist positions, the lineup stabilized as a six-member ensemble by 1995, incorporating guitarist Chris Doud, drummer Zach Egenberger, along with keyboard players Dan Lillie and Sean Duncan. Subsequent to producing a self-recorded home demo, the band's official first album, Eventually Something Cool Will Happen, appeared via the Albany, California-based imprint Devil in the Woods in 1998. Fellow Modesto inhabitant and Grandaddy leader Jason Lytle handled the recording duties, prompting writers to connect Fiver with a developing Central Valley music community, where Stockton native Pavement acted as inspirational predecessors. Fiver delivered a distortion-heavy style of indie rock whose catchy impacts and tuneful variations showcased Woody's introspective songwriting. In 2000, while Woody and Egenberger pursued higher education, the group released Strings for Satellites, again through Devil in the Woods and helmed by producer Kyle Statham from the band Fuck. This effort began drawing notice from the indie rock community in California's Bay Area. Early in 2001, Fiver performed for the second time at San Francisco's Noise Pop Festival, filling the Café Du Nord to capacity. With their profile rising sharply, Fiver came to be associated alongside Sparklehorse, Wheat, and Grandaddy. The label Devil in the Woods put out their third album, Here It Comes, during April 2002.