In 2007 Weezer guitarist Brian Bell assembled the Relationship in Los Angeles as a side project devoted to power pop. Recording at his home studio with a shifting roster of collaborators, Bell finished the band’s self-titled debut, issued by Golden State Records near the end of 2010. Blending Beatlesque pop, tuneful alt-rock, and classic rock elements, the group performed only occasionally in the years that followed before resurfacing in 2015 with a 7" single on the California lo-fi pop imprint Burger Records. The release led to appearances at Burgerama 4 and the Sundance Film Festival, after which the band finished a second LP by 2017. Now featuring a stable lineup—Bell handling guitar and vocals, Brandon Graham on lead guitar, Jon LaRue on bass, and Justin Goings on drums—the Relationship issued the single “Break Me Open” in early 2017 and soon thereafter released its sophomore album, Clara Obscura.
