The Natural History

Formed in New York City, the trio known as The Natural History centers on siblings Max Tepper, who handles guitar and vocals, and Julian Tepper on bass, alongside drummer Derek Vockins. Earlier, Max Tepper and Vockins had performed together in emo-rock and math-rock outfits reminiscent of Don Caballero and Fugazi, yet their shared tastes soon shifted. By early 2001 the pair sought fresh directions and began revisiting sounds from their adolescence, among them Elvis Costello, the Kinks, the Beatles, Wire and XTC. Still lacking a bassist, they welcomed Julian Tepper into the fold less than a week after his college graduation in June 2001. Rehearsals commenced at once, and within weeks the group captured its debut recording, a three-track self-titled EP issued on Macarta Recordings, the modest imprint run by members of the Walkmen. Live performances followed, including a Midwest tour, after which the band secured a deal with StarTime International, the Brooklyn indie label already home to the Walkmen, Brendon Benson and French Kicks. Tracking took place at Greg Talenfeld’s Stonehouse studio in Nyack, New York; Talenfeld, whose credits include work with Pavement, Beck and Jonathan Fire*eater as well as the band’s new labelmates, oversaw the sessions. The resulting five-song self-titled EP appeared on StarTime in July 2002. Throughout the remainder of the year the group played numerous concerts alongside Enon, Spoon and the Oranges Band, yet the Tepper brothers also found time to lay down their first full-length studio album, Beat Beat, which was scheduled for release in spring 2003.