The Bigger Lovers

Philadelphia's Bigger Lovers—singer/guitarist Bret Tobias, guitarist Ed Hogarty, bassist Scott Jefferson, and drummer Patrick Berkery—issued their first recording, How I Learned to Stop Worrying, in 2001. The album earned widespread praise and situated the quartet alongside fellow Big Star/Byrds/Band enthusiasts such as Pernice Brothers, Waxwings, and Beachwood Sparks. Though tracked as far back as 1999, the project stayed unreleased after its original home, North Carolina's Mood Food, collapsed. Its eventual release carried the logo of Mississippi indie Black Dog. Favorable reviews for Worrying, paired with reliable European availability, helped offset much of the earlier label turmoil. The group also established itself as a strong concert draw, logging repeated cross-country tours throughout the following year. In August 2002 the Bigger Lovers resurfaced on Yep Roc with Honey in the Hive, delivering a tighter expression of their power-pop leanings. This Affair Never Happened followed two years afterward.