With the assistance of guest bassplayers the boys started playing out live (opening for The Posies’ Jon Auer in their first performance). The gigs go so well Joel tells Rob “I love these songs… I love them so much, I quit!” (Not really, Joel left to raise babies with his wife, Renee—and still shows up occasionally at performances to get coaxed on stage.)

[Long depressing interlude here where Rob’s sister and both his parents die in a span of two months—from cancer, and a car accident… Bereavement ensues, followed by 2 years of forced hibernation, in a tiny town on the west peninsula of Puget Sound.]

In December 2005, Rob decides to rebirth the band. A solid lineup is found in guitarist Max Keene, Detroit drummer Erik Jensen, and New Zealand bassplayer Mike Walker. Shows become more frequent. Without a legitimate album, demos start showing up on local radio.

By fall of 2006, the lineup takes a new, more established direction with the addition of bassplayer Doran Bastin and drummer Mat Mathews (longtime bandmates and rhythm section from former Beggar’s Banquet/Bad Man recording artists Swell). Between growing and ever more well-received local gigs, the band holes up in the The Playroom (a private Seattle studio) to write songs for their debut release, "Love Songs & Funeral Homes".

In December, they get on an airplane and fly off to Merseyside, England to track at Ape Studios, in Little Neston, overlooking North Wales. They live in the studio and record together, ’round the clock, for 8 days straight, creating blessed-out new aural toddlers to share with the world (little shaky legs, beautiful voices and strong little hearts of gold... each and everyone). Pianos, a Mellotron, ‘50s Vox and Fender amps, Helios and Neumann mixing boards used by The Who and Supertramp, all get twiddled and tinkered with until the boys are finally sated. (Plenty of Guinness pints, and Whiskey shots got tampered with as well.)

By January, 2007, the band returns to the States in a happy haze. The final pieces of the puzzle arrive in the persons of keys/piano player Peter Colclasure (Smile Brigade/The Kissers) and pedal steel guitarist Jay Kardong (Sera Cahoone, the Wakefields). Through sheer luck, they enlist "vintage vibe" genius Tim Mooney (of American Music Club, Sun Kill Moon, Mark Kozelek, John Murry & Bob Frank) to mix the record.

That’s where they stand today-- smiles on their faces, debut album in the can, preparing to release it upon the world via Evangeline Records (US/UK) summer 2008. Until then, you can find them scattered about various street corners in downtown Seattle, homeless, busking, begging for small loans, various car repairs, and seeking a lost digital camera with incriminating pictures on it (plus stardom, loads of free drink tickets, that kind of thing).