Ten years after their first recordings, Uphollow is still reshaping and perfecting their view of pop music. With their new album, Jackets For The Trip, Uphollow may have found a perfect compromise between their catchy and unpredictable early sound and the densely orchestrated and mathematical sounds of their two continuous music concept albums. With three songwriters pushing each other for the perfect song and album, Uphollow have created their best yet.
Uphollow was formed in 1993 as a three-piece rock band and released their first album, Mission to the Moon in 1995. After two years of touring, they released their ambitious rock opera, Soundtrack to An Imaginary Life in 1997. The album is 40 minutes long and features a continuous story with continuous music.
They toured furiously throughout the United States, playing with Fugazi, Blonde Redhead, The Make-Up, Hot Water Music, Braid, Pedro the Lion, and Jimmy Eat World. They also traveled individually to Spain, Eastern Europe, and Australia; writing and recording songs.
In 2001, Uphollow added a third songwriter and more sonic possibilities as their sound now included cello, piano, bass, guitar, and drums. They followed with a teaser 5 song EP in 2002 and then released another continuous music- concept album, Ten Fingers, in 2003.
For the next year, all three songwriters continued writing songs and performing solo, duo, and as a full band with a more diverse array of groups such as Richard Buckner, The Decemberists, Art Alexakis, Tim Reynolds, The Long Winters, and All Night Radio.
Uphollow recorded over 20 songs in early 2004. Far more varied and diverse than anything they've done before, these songs once again re-defined UPHOLLOW's sound. From the cello rock of "Monster," to the acoustic folk of "People," to the 70s-style epic ballad of "Wine and Honesty," these songs continue to stretch UPHOLLOW's definition of pop music. After editing and selecting 11 tracks, they eventully became Jackets For The Trip, a 42 minute journey from early morning to late night.
