Pompeii

There's this budding band from Austin, TX that just gets it. It,being a thorough calculation of melody, albums of shimmering architecture, and songs that read as stirring self-actualizations. They're called Pompeii, and so far, they've done everything right. On their debut full-length, Assembly, the band created sleeper hits in songs like "Numbers" and "Pythons, Awake!", both working the mid-tempo balance between a great hook and nostalgic instrumentation. So effortless, so organic - the band's rapport for dreamy indie rock fell into place without so much as a bruise or tripwire.

The band is only one of many in Austin, obviously, because indie rock bands are as frequent as traffic lights in this city of weird. Not that it mattered much. When Eyeball Records owner Alex Saavedra saw the band once at a day party showcase at South by Southwest 2005, he immediately offered them a contract. Less than a year later, the label released Assembly.It gained critical acclaim, a buzzing fan base, received 4-stars in American Songwriter, and became available in Japan.The band toured the US in support, and played the CMJ Festival in New York. Pompeii provided tunes that a listener could really connect with, thanks to a kinship to indie mainstays like Death Cab For Cutie and Matt Pond PA, songwriting that was mindful of chirping, sentimental tones, and Stafford's knack for personal and personable lyricism. Part romantic and part bittersweet, sometimes grand, sometimes small and intimate, Pompeii are a lot of things and all of which they do well.

In 2007,the band found a new bass player, and begin to work on their sophomore album to be released on Eyeball. These efforts came together to make Nothing Happens for a Reason , eleven tracks with soid production by C.J. Eiriksson (Jack's Mannequin, The Rocket Summer) and mastering by Gavin Lurssen (Cat Power, Kings of Convenience). The album shows progression while still working in their signature cello swells, cresting guitar lines and dynamic melodies. "We're extremely happy with it, considering it was written in seven months and recorded in eight days," Stafford says. "Assembly was more of a dreamy record, where this one feels a little more awake."

In the near future, the band will tour in winter of 2008, plan for SXSW 2009, and aim to start working on the next album. As for long term goals, Stafford keeps it more open: "We want to be as ambitious as possible and keep raising the bar for ourselves creatively. Hopefully, we can inspire some people along the way."