Biography
In the late 1990s, singer and guitarist Brent Kenji formed the Fairways in San Francisco after his time in the indie pop five-piece Skypark, bringing along fellow members Jen Cohen and Andrew Leavitt. Keiko Kayamoto and Zac Stanley soon joined, resulting in the 2000 release of the ten-song album Is Everything All Right? on Paris Caramel Records. The record drew critical praise for its joyful strain of indie pop, recalling the style of Blueboy and Holiday. Kenji’s sincere crisp and clean vocals, together with the band’s exacting instrumentation, earned notice across the indie pop community. That year the group issued a split EP with fellow San Franciscans Aislers Set on Yakamashi Records and followed it with the Darling, Don't You Think EP on Washington D.C.’s Matinee Records. They also released the split-EP Permanent Vacation alongside Japan’s Three Berry Ice Cream on Dogprint Records. Zac Stanley exited in 2000 and was succeeded by drummer Deanna. In 2002 the Fairways entered the studio to track the follow-up to Is Everything All Right?.