Anathallo was a band originally from Mt. Pleasant, Michigan and then based in Chicago, Illinois. The band started practicing in the fall of 2000 and played their first show soon afterward. Their name is derived from a Greek word meaning "to renew, refresh or bloom again."Kate Kiefer, 4 to Watch: Anathallo; Creation in Isolation , Paste Magazine, June 7, 2006 (accessed November 27, 2008).
Anathallo released Floating World, their first nationally distributed record, in 2006 through Sony/BMG. The band released a follow-up, entitled Canopy Glow, on Anticon in 2008.
History Anathallo was formed in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan, in 2000. The band, led by singer and guitarist Matt Joynt, often consisting of seven or eight members, operated in a relentlessly DIY manner for the first six years of its existence, releasing three EPs (one independently, and two on Selah Records) one full-length album (Sparrows originally on Selah Records) and independently booking eighteen national tours between the years 2000 and 2006.
In 2006 the band independently released Floating World, a concept album based on a Japanese story called Hana-Saka-Jiji. Soon after, the album was re-released with wider distribution through Sony/BMG. The album spawned several songs that were used in television commercials, including "Yuki! Yuki! Yuki!" in a Vick's ad, and "Dokkoise House (With Face Covered)" in an American Express commercial. The income from these licenses allowed the band a less stressful experience pursuing their follow-up album. The group relocated to Chicago, Illinois, and accepted an invitation to be artists-in-residence at Berry United Methodist Church where they began working on their follow-up LP, "Canopy Glow".
In 2008, Canopy Glow — which was recorded at Engine Studios by engineer/producer Neil Strauch — was released to critical acclaim in the US, EU, and Japan. Following the release of Canopy Glow, the band toured with an eclectic variety of artists including Sam Amidon, Brand New, Aloha, Page France, The Format, Dosh, Manchester Orchestra and Rainer Maria, played Austin City Limits, Coachella, and Lollapalooza, and shared the stage with Joanna Newsom, Broken Social Scene and Sufjan Stevens. The group toured in support of Canopy Glow with two headlining US tours, one tour of the UK, two European tours and two tours in Japan before going on hiatus in 2009.
On April 12, 2010, after a long silence from the band, member Bret Wallin addressed the inactivity on his personal blog:Many of you know me from a past life. One which included month-long van rides, small rooms in the back filled with bottled water, playing Tetris with a trailer and seven people's musical equipment, a dry hoodie over a sweat-filled shirt by the end of each night. So let's put it on the record. It's not as though we put a stake through Anathallo's vampire heart. It's more that we wandered the band back to rest, to let it sleep through the day. And whatever or whoever wakes up in its place, we'll see.
Band members
Final members Matt Joynt – vocals, guitar, auxiliary percussion, piano Bret Wallin – trombone, auxiliary percussion, vocals Danny Bracken – guitar, auxiliary percussion, vocals Seth Walker – bass, vocals Jeremiah Johnson – drums, percussion, vocals Erica Walker – vocals, auxiliary percussion, autoharp Jamie Macleod – piano, trumpet, auxiliary percussion, vocals
Former members Andrew Dost - flugelhorn, piano, vocals, auxiliary percussion c d e Greg Leppert – trumpet Ken Fedor, auxiliary guitarist pendinghappiness.com/history Joel Thiele – drums a b c d e Nathan Sandberg – trombone, auxiliary percussion, piano, vocals a b c d e Kevin Greenlees, The Jig – trombone, auxiliary percussion, vocals c d e Glenn King – guitar, auxiliary percussion, vocals a b c d Ty Forquer – drums, auxiliary percussion, keyboard a b
Discography
Albums Year Title Record label 2001 Luminous Luminescence in the Atlas Position Artist Friendship 2002 Sparrows Selah Records 2006 Floating World Nettwerk 2008 Canopy Glow Anticon
EPs Year Title Record label 2003 A Holiday at the Sea Artist Friendship 2004 Hymns Selah Records
Other Year Title Record label Notes 2005 Entropy Potential Getaway Driver 12-inch vinyl split EP with Javelins 2006 Anathallogy Artist Collective compilation album 2008 "Hanasakajijii (Four: A Great Wind, More Ash)" Big Scary Monsters UK-only 7-inch vinyl single
References
External links Official website Anathallo on Purevolume