Biography
Although emo's history stretches back far enough to have spawned multiple waves of followers, a handful of acts have moved beyond those roots into what might reasonably be called post-emo, with the Only Children serving as a prime example. Frontman Josh Berwanger had previously handled guitar and vocals in the Anniversary, a fixture of the Lawrence, KS, scene that remained active from 1997 until 2004. Across a pair of full-length releases plus numerous singles and split EPs, the group embodied the era's emo sound so completely that they were unearthed by Matthew Pryor of the Get Up Kids and placed on Vagrant Records. Following the Anniversary's dissolution in early 2004, Berwanger joined forces with bassist James David and drummer Christian Jankowski to launch Josh Berwanger & the Holy Ghosts; they were soon joined by Canadian multi-instrumentalist Heidi Lynne Gluck—already known as one-third of Some Girls alongside Juliana Hatfield and Freda Love—on accordion and organ, pedal-steel player Casey Prestwood from Hot Rod Circuit, and blues guitarist T.K. Webb. The latter three musicians signaled a shift toward roots-oriented Americana. The band soon adopted the name the Only Children and issued its debut, the warmly countrified Change of Living, in fall 2004. After a lengthy tour, however, Webb resumed his solo work while David and Jankowski departed. Keeping Gluck and Prestwood aboard, the group recruited guitarist Ricky Salthouse and drummer Ryan Benton, then delivered its sophomore effort, Keeper of Youth, in spring 2007.