Biography
Spookyland hails from Sydney, Australia, where the ensemble merges a rootsy sensibility with sweeping poetic ambition. Frontman Marcus Gordon anchors the group, supported by his brother Liam on guitar, bassist Nic Malouf, and drummer Nath Mansfield. Gordon’s initial folky solo venture yielded the 2010 debut EP Killin' One Bird with Two Stones, which unveiled his offbeat viewpoint and piercing tenor—which recalls Neutral Milk Hotel's Jeff Mangum—together with the imprint of American singer-songwriters such as Bob Dylan, Lou Reed, Patti Smith, and Bruce Springsteen. Spookyland had matured into a complete band by the arrival of the 2013 single "The Silly Fucking Thing." The next year’s Rock & Roll Weakling EP broadened their sonic palette through collaboration with producer Tony Buchen. To lay down their debut album, Spookyland and Buchen headed to Omaha, Nebraska, to work inside Conor Oberst’s ARC Studios. Late in 2015 the seven-minute single "Bulimic" offered the earliest glimpse of Beauty Already Beautiful, issued in May 2016.