Spanish For 100

Spanish for 100 came together in Seattle during spring 2002, merging the confessional tone and rustic inflections of alt-country with the sharp, driving guitar lines typical of indie rock. Corey Passons and Ross McGilvary had just disbanded their locally popular outfit Preston Mill and sought a new vehicle to pursue their growing fascination with rustic songwriters such as Neil Young, the Jayhawks, and Wilco. They crossed paths with Aaron Starkey, a Chicago-born musician and songwriter who had lately moved to the Pacific Northwest; the three clicked immediately, establishing the band’s original lineup. By late 2003 the trio had become a strong draw throughout Washington state and issued its debut album, Newborn Driving, which Phil Ek recorded and produced. The following summer the same producer oversaw sessions for the EP Metric, which appeared in early 2005. After cycling through numerous drummers, the group settled on percussionist Chris Crumpler, finally locking in a stable roster. Further road work carried the music beyond the Pacific Northwest into the Midwest and East Coast, leading in 2007 to the second album, Say What You Want to Say to Me, released through the independent Fish the Cat imprint.