Whimsical

In northwest Indiana, the shoegaze outfit Whimsical assembled during 1999 and channeled guitar-driven dream pop infused with the more approachable strains of goth pop. Their sound fused Slowdive-like instrumentals with melodic contours that echoed the Cure, Velocity Girl, and the Cranberries. Guitarist Neil Burkdoll and vocalist Krissy Vanderwoude anchored the group as its only constant members through a productive initial period that stretched from formation until 2005. During those years the revolving lineup included bassists Brian Booher, Joe Santelik, and Mike Bailey, drummers Tim Fogle and Andy Muntean, and guitarist Mark Milliron. Successive versions of the band performed live and produced a demo, a single, and the debut album Setting Suns are Semi-Circles, issued by Seraph Records in 2000. Although sessions for a follow-up album were already underway, Whimsical dissolved in 2005 before those recordings could be finished. Burkdoll and Vanderwoude revived the project in 2016, completing fresh material as a duo that resulted in the 2017 album Sleep to Dream.