The Classic Crime

In 2004 the reflective Seattle rock group the Classic Crime assembled around vocalist Matt MacDonald, drummer Paul Erickson, bassist Alan Clark, and guitarists Justin Duque and Robbie Negrin. The musicians, who had first met in high school, had performed as Orizon without Negrin until his arrival prompted the adoption of a new name. Early 2006 found them on tour with Mest and Tooth & Nail labelmates Anberlin and Emery ahead of the May arrival of their debut album Albatross and their first Warped Tour appearance. Further touring filled the next year, which also yielded the acoustic EP Seattle Sessions.

Silver Cord in 2008 and Vagabonds in 2010 both entered the Billboard 200 and reached the Top Ten of the Christian albums chart even though the band refrains from presenting itself as Christian rock. After parting from Tooth & Nail and from Duque, the self-produced fourth album Phoenix appeared on Goomba Music in 2012 and matched that chart performance. Celebrating ten years together in 2014, the Classic Crime issued the live record What Was Done, Vol. 1: A Decade Revisited on the independent label BC Music. The Seattle co-operative likewise oversaw their fifth studio LP, 2017’s How to Be Human.