HOOPS

In late 2015 the Bloomington, Indiana indie rock outfit Hoops surfaced without warning after uploading Tape #2 to YouTube, where it quickly circulated across music hype blogs and received widespread acclaim. Their lo-fi aesthetic, veiled in tape hiss and evoking '80s college rock, dream pop, shoegaze, and yacht rock, revealed an impressive command of songwriting that felt summery and full of bright, infectious melodies. Avoiding conventional promotion and social media alike, the relatively anonymous members preferred to let the recordings stand on their own. Details about the group eventually surfaced: Hoops had originated in 2011 as vocalist Drew Auscherman’s solo ambient/noise endeavor before expanding into a quartet in 2014 with the arrival of guitarist Keagan Beresford, bassist Kevin Krauter, and drummer James Harris. British acts Prefab Sprout and the Clientele exerted a strong influence, while the band’s style also prompted comparisons with contemporaries such as DIIV, Ariel Pink, and Real Estate. Two additional tapes quickly followed, heightening interest in the group. They signed with Fat Possum, which issued their self-titled debut EP proper in mid-2016, and the earlier tapes were simultaneously offered in digital formats. Work soon began on a full-length debut, captured partly during the band’s initial studio sessions and partly in Kevin Krauter’s parents’ Indiana basement by the members and Jarvis Taveniere of Woods. Titled Routines, the album appeared in May 2017, at which point Harris had already departed. It registered on the Billboard Heatseekers Albums chart, prompting Fat Possum to release the archival compilation Tapes #1-3 that November. After entering hiatus in 2018, the band resurfaced more than a year later with the late-2019 single “They Say.” An album was completed and slated for release by Fat Possum in August 2020, yet the project was pulled and the group dissolved following allegations of sexual misconduct against former drummer James Harris that dated from his time in the band.