During the surge of indie folk acts that surfaced toward the end of the 2000s, Seattle’s Fleet Foxes stood out by blending rustic, harmony-laden folk-rock with an opulent pop sensibility reminiscent of late-’60s recordings by the Beach Boys, the Zombies, and Fairport Convention. Their debut album, issued on Sub Pop and produced by Phil Ek, received widespread praise, while the 2011 follow-up, Helplessness Blues, also helmed by Ek for the same label, secured a Grammy nomination. After a six-year absence and a move to Nonesuch, the group unveiled the sprawling Crack-Up in 2017. Without prior notice, they delivered their fourth album, Shore, on September 22, 2020, simultaneously releasing a companion short film.
Longtime friends Robin Pecknold, who handles lead vocals and guitar, and Skyler Skjelset, responsible for guitar, mandolin, and vocals, established the band in 2006. The core lineup later expanded to feature Casey Wescott on keyboards, mandolin, and vocals, Christian Wargo on bass, guitar, and vocals, and Nicholas Peterson on drums and vocals. By merging Baroque pop with classic rock and British folk influences, the group quickly drew interest from several labels and impressed local producer Phil Ek, already known for his work with Built to Spill and the Shins. Early in 2008 they signed with Sub Pop, releasing the Ek-produced Sun Giant EP and, shortly afterward, their self-titled full-length. Although the record earned strong reviews in the United States, it achieved even greater success abroad, attaining platinum status in the U.K. and topping numerous year-end lists in Europe. Shortly after its release, Peterson departed and was succeeded on drums by singer-songwriter Josh Tillman, who stayed with the band until 2012, when he began performing as Father John Misty.
Phil Ek once again produced the sessions for the next album, which the band approached with a focus on greater cohesion and a live-band atmosphere. Issued in 2011, Helplessness Blues broadened their signature lush textures, garnered further critical acclaim, reached gold certification in the U.K., and earned a Best Folk Album Grammy nomination stateside. After extensive touring and Tillman’s exit, the group went on hiatus when Pecknold relocated to New York City in 2014 to study at Columbia University. Activity resumed in mid-2016 with news that recording had restarted; by early 2017 the band had joined Nonesuch for their third album, Crack-Up, titled after an essay by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The ambitious, progressively inclined set appeared that June.
To mark the tenth anniversary of their first album, Fleet Foxes issued First Collection 2006-2009 the following year, compiling the debut, early EPs, B-sides, and selected rarities. With only a day’s advance notice, their fourth studio album, the Grammy-nominated Shore, arrived on September 22, 2020, timed precisely at 13:31 coordinated universal time to align with the autumnal equinox. A 55-minute short film, shot and directed on 16mm by Kersti Jan Werdal, accompanied the release. Three months later, on the winter solstice, Robin Pecknold gave a livestream performance at the church of St. Ann & the Holy Trinity in Brooklyn, New York, presenting solo acoustic renditions of material from the band’s catalog along with a cover of the Bee Gees’ “In the Morning.” The Resistance Revival Chorus joined him for one selection. Recorded for posterity, the concert surfaced nearly a year afterward as the live album A Very Lonely Solstice.
