Spector (House)

Spector, a sharply dressed quintet from London, drew from the Strokes’ early-2000s garage rock, Roxy Music’s new-romantic textures, and the Killers’ anthemic indie pop. When the group surfaced in 2011, observers positioned them as one of the final major prospects for a waning British guitar-band landscape. Ex-MTV presenter Fred Macpherson, who had previously led Les Incompetents and Ox. Eagle. Lion. Man., joined forces with guitarist Christopher Burman, another Les Incompetents alumnus, to found the project; bassist Thomas Shickle, keyboardist Jed Cullen, and drummer Danny Blandy completed the lineup. The musicians refined their material at an East London snooker hall before taking it to stages throughout the capital. Originally christened Spectre after the criminal syndicate in the James Bond series, they altered the spelling to salute the maverick producer once they learned the prior name was unavailable. Following the release of their first single, Never Fade Away, the band secured a contract with Fiction Records, performed on the Introducing Stage at Reading/Leeds Festival, opened for Kaiser Chiefs across the U.K., and earned initial national airplay on Later...with Jools Holland. In 2012 they were named to the BBC Sound Of... shortlist, accompanied Florence + the Machine on tour, and completed work on a debut album slated for later that year.