Whistler

Having left behind his role in EMF, Ian Dench took up his acoustic guitar and began working with vocalist Kerry Shaw in 1996, forming the project Whistler. Violinist James Topham, who had also played with Brian Eno, came aboard soon after, and the resulting trio performed throughout England ahead of issuing the 1998 single "Rare American Shoes." Their skill at layering Kerry's crisp but soothing voice atop a combination of drowning violins and rhythmic guitars helped the follow-up single "If I Give You a Smile," also released that year, earn notice from NME and Melody Maker. The self-titled full-length appeared on Wiiija the next year. Whistler resurfaced in early 2001 with Faith In The Morning.