Soda Shop

A chance meeting at a Brooklyn, New York concert by Swedish indie pop outfit the Embassy connected Maria Usbeck of Selebrities with Drew Diver of Horse Shoes, both devoted followers of the group. Diver happened to be filling the bassist slot for the Embassy that evening. Their rapport quickly led to the creation of Soda Shop, a duo whose dreamy aesthetic drew from classic girl-group traditions. Sugar-sweet pop hooks, moody reverb, and Usbeck’s melancholic lead vocals defined their approach, placing the project comfortably alongside other Phil Spector-influenced indie pop acts such as Saturday Looks Good to Me, Gigi, and Cat Eyes. Shelflife Records signed Soda Shop in 2010, issuing the duo’s debut 7" vinyl single, Farewell, the following January. Indie pop bloggers generated considerable early excitement after the band’s first live appearance at that year’s New York Popfest, where Soda Shop performed alongside Betty and the Werewolves and Go Sailor.