Paper Rival

Paper Rival, an indie rock group from Nashville, came together in 2005 initially calling themselves Keating. That year saw the release of their Thieves EP under the Keating name, which later saw a reissue in fall 2007 bearing the Paper Rival moniker. Shared admiration for the likes of Bob Dylan, Broken Social Scene, Neutral Milk Hotel, and Bruce Cockburn characterized the outfit, whose lineup included bassist Cody McCall, guitarists Brent Coleman and Patrick Damphier, plus vocalist Jacob Rolleston. Booking agent Matt Galle invited them to become among the earliest acts on his emerging Photo Finish Records imprint, an offer extended prior to the label's actual formation. Damphier located Galle's details within the credits of Circa Survive's Juturna and sent an email without anticipating any reply. To his surprise, a prompt response arrived from Galle, who had been sufficiently taken with their MySpace tracks to travel to Tennessee for the band's second performance. They continued operating as Keating until a show in Edmonton, Alberta, drew attendees anticipating the Canadian female-fronted band sharing that name. Opting against a legal battle over the Keating designation, the Tennessee musicians adopted the Paper Rival name in March 2007. Mid-year brought their self-titled EP consisting of five tracks. With no fixed drummer in place, Damphier handled percussion duties for the recording. Touring saw the addition of Dillon Napier, a drummer acquaintance whose prior band Scatter the Ashes on Epitaph had dissolved the year before. Their debut full-length album arrived at the start of 2008.