Biography
My First Earthquake crafts bold, synth-heavy indie pop that draws from the sharp angles of Mates of State and the bustling multi-instrumentalism of Of Montreal, situating the group alongside the Kills, the Sounds, and the Blow. Rebecca Bortman, previously the frontwoman of Ice Queen, and Chad Thornton, who had shared stages in several projects with We Are Scientists’ Keith Murray, connected as students at Carnegie Mellon. In fall 2006 they began writing songs together; an earthquake struck their initial practice session—Bortman’s first—prompting the band’s name. Around the same period, Craigslist supplied drummer Andre Salcido, while guitarist David Lean joined precisely as the quartet prepared to record its debut EP. That release, aptly titled Tremors, appeared in 2008. The following year the band scheduled its first full-length album, Downstairs, for a summer launch.
Albums
