Wet Hair

Emerging in the wake of the long-running Iowa City, Iowa noise collective Raccoo-oo-oon’s dissolution, Wet Hair began as a solo endeavor by founding member Shawn Reed during the group’s final months. Reed steered the project away from his prior band’s typically improvised and rhythm-driven style, favoring instead colder textures and synthesizer work on the first recordings. The project soon became a duo when former Raccoo-oo-oon participant Ryan Garbes joined on organ and live drums. The pair maintained an active schedule of touring and recording, incorporating tape manipulation and heavily processed vocals within an experimental take on psychedelic pop. In addition to various one-off releases, Wet Hair issued the more cohesive album Dream via the Not Not Fun label in 2009, followed later that year by the limited-edition Glass Fountain. Over the ensuing two years the band produced a series of split vinyl records alongside peers including Peaking Lights, Rene Hell, and Naked on the Vague. Ahead of 2011’s In Vogue Spirit, Matt Fenner was added as a third member to expand the sonic foundation established by Reed and Garbes. Fenner’s departure led to Justin Thye’s arrival, after which the trio delivered Spill into Atmosphere in 2012, further tempering their noise-based origins with a stronger pop orientation. Wet Hair continued until 2013, when the members chose to depart Iowa City. Reed sustained the prolific Night People label from Saint Paul, Minnesota, while the others pursued separate endeavors, yet the three reconvened to complete one last album, The Floating World, issued by Wharf Cat Records in 2017.