Free Energy

Free Energy came together in the wake of the 2007 breakup of Hockey Night, the turbulent Minneapolis indie rock outfit. Over the next two years former Hockey Night members Scott Wells and Paul Sprangers moved to Philadelphia, joined forces with Geoff Bucknum, Nicholas Shuminsky, and Evan Wells, and recorded a set of exuberant indie rock songs modeled on the glam and arena rock styles of Thin Lizzy and T. Rex. Although never an official member, LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy served as producer on the band’s initial sessions and played bass during its earliest period. The resulting debut 7" single, Free Energy/Something in Common, appeared on Murphy’s DFA Records in 2009. A three-track EP followed later that autumn, and the full-length album Stuck on Nothing arrived in March 2010. After departing DFA to establish their own Free Energy Records imprint, the group worked briefly with producer Jeff Glixman—known for his work on Kansas’ “Dust in the Wind”—yet produced only a single unreleased track. They next enlisted veteran producer John Agnello in pursuit of a polished, radio-oriented sound reminiscent of 1981. Around the same time guitarist Bucknum departed and was succeeded by Sheridan Fox. The band’s second album, Love Sign, was issued in January 2013.