Biography
Drawing from the sounds pioneered by shoegaze and post-punk acts, New York indie rock outfit Longwave built momentum during the first half of the 2000s in tandem with fellow locals the Strokes, frequently sharing bills on tour. At the height of their visibility the group inked a deal with RCA and teamed with noted producers Dave Fridmann and John Leckie for two albums, only to be returned to independent status after a corporate merger. Following the 2008 release of their fourth LP, Secrets Are Sinister, Longwave entered a nearly ten-year break before reactivating in 2018; their fifth album, If We Ever Live Forever, surfaced that October.
The lineup first assembled in 1999 when Steve Schiltz (vocals/guitar), Shannon Ferguson (guitar), Dave Marchese (bass), and Mike James (drums) gathered inside a modest New York space to lay down early recordings. Performances throughout Lower Manhattan refined their expansive melodies and space-rock inflections, drawing the attention of club proprietor Rob Sacher. The quartet subsequently served as house band at Sacher’s Luna Lounge and became inaugural signees to his LunaSea Records imprint.
Endsongs arrived as their official debut in fall 2000, showcasing lavish string sections and robust guitar textures that set them apart from New York peers such as the Strokes. A darker tone emerged on the 2002 Day Sleeper EP; within days of its appearance the Strokes’ manager invited Longwave to join three shows, and their strong showing secured an ongoing support slot for the remainder of the tour. The exposure prompted a contract with RCA Records, after which Dave Fridmann (the Flaming Lips, Mercury Rev, Mogwai) moved the musicians to his Tarbox Road Studio upstate to track their major-label debut.
Issued in March 2003, The Strangest Things unfolded as a dreamy, windswept collection. Another EP, Life of the Party, followed a year later, though Marchese and James departed soon afterward. Nic Brown on drums and Christian Bongers on bass filled the roles, enabling work to continue on the next album under John Leckie’s guidance. There’s a Fire reached stores in June 2005, yet the Sony-BMG merger that followed prompted Longwave’s departure from RCA. Discouraged, the members paused briefly while Schiltz toured as guitarist for Albert Hammond, Jr.; they reconvened in 2007, and productive writing sessions restored forward motion. Signing with Original Signal Recordings in mid-2008, they issued Secrets Are Sinister that November after sessions in Brooklyn and Bridgeport, Connecticut.
Late the next year the band began another extended hiatus, during which Schiltz issued two albums via his Hurricane Bells project and formed Harvard of the South alongside members of the Texas band Blue October. In early 2018, nearly a decade after their prior release, Longwave returned with the single “Stay with Me.” Further singles appeared throughout 2019 before the long-awaited fifth album, If We Ever Live Forever, was released.
The lineup first assembled in 1999 when Steve Schiltz (vocals/guitar), Shannon Ferguson (guitar), Dave Marchese (bass), and Mike James (drums) gathered inside a modest New York space to lay down early recordings. Performances throughout Lower Manhattan refined their expansive melodies and space-rock inflections, drawing the attention of club proprietor Rob Sacher. The quartet subsequently served as house band at Sacher’s Luna Lounge and became inaugural signees to his LunaSea Records imprint.
Endsongs arrived as their official debut in fall 2000, showcasing lavish string sections and robust guitar textures that set them apart from New York peers such as the Strokes. A darker tone emerged on the 2002 Day Sleeper EP; within days of its appearance the Strokes’ manager invited Longwave to join three shows, and their strong showing secured an ongoing support slot for the remainder of the tour. The exposure prompted a contract with RCA Records, after which Dave Fridmann (the Flaming Lips, Mercury Rev, Mogwai) moved the musicians to his Tarbox Road Studio upstate to track their major-label debut.
Issued in March 2003, The Strangest Things unfolded as a dreamy, windswept collection. Another EP, Life of the Party, followed a year later, though Marchese and James departed soon afterward. Nic Brown on drums and Christian Bongers on bass filled the roles, enabling work to continue on the next album under John Leckie’s guidance. There’s a Fire reached stores in June 2005, yet the Sony-BMG merger that followed prompted Longwave’s departure from RCA. Discouraged, the members paused briefly while Schiltz toured as guitarist for Albert Hammond, Jr.; they reconvened in 2007, and productive writing sessions restored forward motion. Signing with Original Signal Recordings in mid-2008, they issued Secrets Are Sinister that November after sessions in Brooklyn and Bridgeport, Connecticut.
Late the next year the band began another extended hiatus, during which Schiltz issued two albums via his Hurricane Bells project and formed Harvard of the South alongside members of the Texas band Blue October. In early 2018, nearly a decade after their prior release, Longwave returned with the single “Stay with Me.” Further singles appeared throughout 2019 before the long-awaited fifth album, If We Ever Live Forever, was released.
Albums
If We Ever Live Forever
2019
There's A Fire
2005
There's A Fire EP
2005
Life Of The Party
2004
Tidal Wave EP
2004
The Strangest Things
2003
Singles
Live
