Love in October

While the pop/rock group Love in October now calls Minneapolis, Minnesota its base, the act traces its beginnings to Sweden. Erik Widman, who handles vocals along with guitar, piano, and Moog, left his Swedish homeland for Michigan in 2000 to pursue higher education, and his brother Kent, responsible for bass and Moog, joined him there in 2002. The pair moved once more in 2006, this time settling in Minnesota, where they launched Love in October as a fresh endeavor. Guitarist Nik Pfiefer and drummer Mike Swanson completed the initial lineup, and the quartet began playing shows that summer, soon forming connections with area favorites such as Motion City Soundtrack. They later tracked their first EP under producer Ed Rose, whose prior credits include work with the Get Up Kids and the Casket Lottery. The power-pop release Words of Sound came out through the Musik Group in late February 2007. Beyond songwriting, the members also pursue visual media, crafting their own short films and music videos, which helped generate considerable online attention for the clip accompanying the single “A Day in the Life Of.” That song and video earned a Best Music on Campus nomination at the 2007 MTVu Woodies, the college-focused awards presented by MTV’s campus division. By year’s end the Widman brothers had added guitarist/pianist Charlie Abbott and drummer Chresten Hyde to the roster, and the band returned to Ed Rose to record its debut full-length, Pontus, the Devil, and Me, issued in January 2008.