Biography
Equally inspired by the Shins and Brian Wilson, the Morning Benders blend bright pop craftsmanship, ringing guitars, academic humor, and a modern indie sensibility. In 2005 Chris Chu began the project alone, capturing his initial tracks with nothing more than one microphone and a laptop. The Loose Change EP surfaced in September 2006; afterward Chu invited several UC Berkeley classmates—drummer Julian Harmon, bassist Tim Or, and guitarist/organist Joe Ferrell—to join. Boarded Doors, a second EP, emerged in early 2007 and earned favorable notice from Bay Area outlets including The SF Weekly, which led Chu to accept a part-time studio-engineering role so he could fund further recordings. He handled most production, engineering, and mixing duties himself on the debut album Talking Through Tin Cans, issued in May 2008 by the fledgling +1 Records imprint.
Talking Through Tin Cans resonated within indie-pop circles, and the group logged extensive road dates, sometimes supporting Death Cab for Cutie and the Kooks. Following an acoustic-pop-covers collection, the Morning Benders relocated to Brooklyn, where their 1960s Southern California melodies gradually evolved into more exploratory territory. Co-produced by Grizzly Bear’s Chris Taylor, the 2010 album Big Echo showcased this shift, merging Chu’s melodic sensibility with layered, atmospheric sounds. Ferrell departed soon after its release and was succeeded by Chu’s brother Jon Chu. While touring and preparing new material, the band again shifted from San Francisco to Brooklyn. In early 2012 the members used Twitter and Facebook to declare they would henceforth be known as Pop Etc., having discovered that “bender” carried homophobic overtones in the U.K.
Talking Through Tin Cans resonated within indie-pop circles, and the group logged extensive road dates, sometimes supporting Death Cab for Cutie and the Kooks. Following an acoustic-pop-covers collection, the Morning Benders relocated to Brooklyn, where their 1960s Southern California melodies gradually evolved into more exploratory territory. Co-produced by Grizzly Bear’s Chris Taylor, the 2010 album Big Echo showcased this shift, merging Chu’s melodic sensibility with layered, atmospheric sounds. Ferrell departed soon after its release and was succeeded by Chu’s brother Jon Chu. While touring and preparing new material, the band again shifted from San Francisco to Brooklyn. In early 2012 the members used Twitter and Facebook to declare they would henceforth be known as Pop Etc., having discovered that “bender” carried homophobic overtones in the U.K.
Albums
Singles
