Cellardoor
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Started by film and theatre composer drew Edwards in early 2004, Cellardoor is an independent electro-acoustic pop band with a distinctive sound most often compared to Ben Folds and The Postal Service.
Cellardoor released their first LP, L'esprit de L'escalier, in the summer of 2004. Recorded on one microphone at the embryonic Rugby Road Studio, it was met with immediate praise, selling from Mexico to the United Kingdom on word-of-mouth and on the strength of song samples available online. Fuelled by the first single, "Boy Wonder", as well as fan favourites "Here I Am Again" and "We Would Have Beautiful Children," L'esprit continues to be an incredibly popular record, selling consistently well both digitally and on CD.
Their second, more introspective LP, i didnt get the memo, was released in the summer of 2005. Adding layers of guitars to their signature piano-driven sound, memo displays a much more focused and melancholy side of the Cellardoor sound. Once again recorded at Rugby Road Studio, Mr. Edwards' confidence in his production style is evidenced by bolder gestures and a smoother sound. Featuring the singles "cold hearted boy" and "soulless", as well as guest performances from guitarist Ami and long-time collaborator Jennifer Bechtel, this ambitious sophomore effort demonstrates their creatively evolving and unique musical voice.
Cellardoor made their live debut as the house band at the 2004 NYC Gay Pride Rally in Bryant Park as a duo (founder drew Edwards and keyboardist Soren Anders from Shimmerplanet). Since then they have been playing at clubs all over NYC (including Arlene's Grocery, Don Hill's and RARE) as well as regionally; from upstate New York music festivals to hip, intimate spaces in midwestern university towns. In 2005, they returned to the Bryant Park Stage once again as the house band for the Pride Rally, where they performed for over 8,000 people alongside God-Des and She, Karen Williams, and many others.
With the 2006 release of Distance, Cellardoor establishes itself firmly in the indie-pop lexicon. Boasting performances from a wealth of New York's finest independent musicians, including: Soren Anders (Shimmerplanet), John Carlin, Jennifer Houseal, and Tim Keiper (Beat the Donkey), Distance is their most polished and expansive outing to date. Boasting the new singles "Be A Man" and "Why Are You Still Here?", both of which are widely available online.
Cellardoor continues, currently, to play live, in various incarnations, throughout the metropolitan New York City area and regionally.
