James Combs

James Combs propelled the Bloomington, Indiana art rock outfit Arson Garden to prominence throughout the Midwest by pairing his provocative lyrics with contemporary acoustic instrumentation. He steered the group through extensive, well-received treks across North America and Europe while serving as a central creative force behind its three albums—Under Towers in 1991, Wisteria in 1992, and The Belle Stomp in 1994. After leaving Indiana in the mid-1980s, Combs spent stretches in Boston and Chicago before establishing residence in Petaluma, California in 1998. The year following that relocation brought his first solo release, Remotor, which was succeeded by the more pop-leaning Please Come Down in 2001.