Biography
In March 1998 The Comas came together in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, initially as a tongue-in-cheek country act meant to counter the rising No Depression hype. The humorous and country aspects soon vanished, freeing the group to evolve into a distinctive alternative rock unit. Their solid 1999 debut Wave to Make Friends delivered drowsy yet alert indie pop marked by off-center male-female vocal blends from co-founders Andrew Herod and Nicole Gehweiler. The instrumental range extended past standard indie boundaries, layering violin, organ, and inventive non-rap samples over guitars and a rhythm section. Confronted with the task of classifying the result, the band's label settled on the tag "stoner pop."
The Comas delivered Def Needle in Tomorrow in fall 2000, yet only the 2004 arrival of Conductor brought widespread attention. Created after the breakup between frontman Andrew Herod and actress Michelle Williams, the album stood out as a strong breakup statement that drew favorable notices from major music magazines and broadened the group's following. Capitalizing on that recognition, The Comas joined Vagrant in December 2005; the shifting roster—now Herod, Gehweiler, keyboardist Matt Sumrow, bassist Jason Caperton, and drummer Nic Gonzales—issued Spells in spring 2007. Two years afterward Herod redirected his efforts to Electric Owls, a side project that folded folk and psychedelic elements into its sound.
The Comas delivered Def Needle in Tomorrow in fall 2000, yet only the 2004 arrival of Conductor brought widespread attention. Created after the breakup between frontman Andrew Herod and actress Michelle Williams, the album stood out as a strong breakup statement that drew favorable notices from major music magazines and broadened the group's following. Capitalizing on that recognition, The Comas joined Vagrant in December 2005; the shifting roster—now Herod, Gehweiler, keyboardist Matt Sumrow, bassist Jason Caperton, and drummer Nic Gonzales—issued Spells in spring 2007. Two years afterward Herod redirected his efforts to Electric Owls, a side project that folded folk and psychedelic elements into its sound.
Albums
