Spook the Horse

Spook the Horse formed in Bellingham, Washington, where vocalist/guitarist Grant Burton, guitarist Brian Pake, keyboardist Brian Mura, bassist Matt Ralston, and drummer Brian Papenfuss first connected while still in high school. The five musicians had already spent more than a decade playing in separate groups before launching the indie rock band in summer 2003. Early exposure to performances by Modest Mouse, Death Cab for Cutie, and Unwound helped define their sound. Songwriting contributions came from every member, and after issuing a handful of demos the group delivered its debut EP in December 2005. A second EP was slated for late 2006, by which point Spook the Horse had already shared bills with Kelley Stoltz, the Rosebuds, and the Elected.