No. 2

In 1998, following the breakup of Heatmiser—the band he had shared with Elliott Smith—vocalist/guitarist Neil Gust launched No. 2. Bassist/vocalist Gilly Ann Hanner (Calamity Jane, Desír) and drummer Paul Pulvarite (Atomic 61, Jr. High), both longtime Pacific Northwest players, completed the indie rock supergroup. Taking cues from Television, Gang of Four, and Stevie Wonder, the trio first performed songs Gust had written near the end of his Heatmiser years. They soon toured, sharpening the material ahead of recording sessions.

Early in 1999 the band cut its debut, No Memory, at Jackpot Studios; Chainsaw Records of Olympia released the album late that year. Though traces of Gust’s prior work remained audible, the record centered on engaging pop songcraft.

Hanner exited after the first album, and Jim Talstra (Minus 5, Maroons) took her place. While tracking continued, No. 2 toured with Elliott Smith and Quasi, the latter fronted by Sam Coomes, another former Heatmiser member alongside Gust and Smith. The group also opened for Sleater-Kinney and Stephen Malkmus, two of the region’s most respected acts. Its second album, What Does Good Luck Bring?, appeared in late 2002 and was followed by another extensive tour; the record traded the direct pop style of No Memory for a harder-edged sound forged through frequent live shows.

After nearly two decades of inactivity, No. 2 reunited in 2018 with Hanner back in the lineup. The single “You Might Be Right” came out in 2020.