Hockey

Merging sleek electronic pop textures and propulsive rhythms with the studied detachment of new wave revivalists, Hockey emerged from Portland’s music community in 2009, quickly gaining a devoted UK following through several club shows and a self-made demo EP. In 2007, while enrolled at Southern California’s Johnston Center for Integrative Studies—an experimental program tied to the University of Redlands—vocalist-guitarist Ben Grubin and bassist Jeremy Reynolds launched the band. The center’s flexible structure let them design their own coursework around music, so they began composing material and performing with only a drum machine. A recording from this early lineup reached Sony Music A&R staff, leading to a contract; however, dialogue between the musicians and the label deteriorated, and sessions with producer Jerry Harrison, formerly of Talking Heads, ended when the company released them. Seeking a fresh setting, Grubin and Reynolds left California, spending time in Spokane, WA, before settling in Portland, OR. There the lineup grew to a quartet when percussionist Anthony Stassi and guitarist Brian White joined during the Spokane period, and the group immediately began gigging at local clubs and campus parties. Home-recorded versions of “Learn to Lose” and “Work” reached BBC Radio 1’s Zane Lowe, sparking UK interest. After appearances at London’s Water Rats venue and an NME showcase, major labels renewed their pursuit, resulting in deals with Virgin for the UK and Europe and Capitol for the United States. Revised versions of the demo tracks appeared on the band’s debut album, Mind Chaos, issued in fall 2009.