Power 25: Fleet Foxes Expand the Seattle Sound

Category: Arts + Events Articles

 

Bio: Fleet Foxes was born when Robin Pecknold, 22, lead singer/songwriter, and Skye Skjelset, 22, guitarist—who began their musical collaboration while students at Lake Washington High School—joined with Seattleites Casey Wescott, 27, keyboardist; Christian Wargo, 31, bassist; and Josh Tillman, 27, drummer.

Why they’re on the list: After signing with iconic Seattle indie label Sub Pop in January, they followed up in April with their much-blogged-about EP release Sun Giant, and then in June with their first full-length, self-titled album, helmed by famed Seattle producer Phil Ek. It’s earned them superlative ink and air play (online, on radio and on TV), and they’ve quickly become a much-sought-after live act—some critics have hailed them as “America’s Next Greatest Band.” While they sidestep the hype, maintaining an appropriately Seattle low-key attitude (Pecknold’s older sister, former Seattle Weekly music writer Aja, still serves as their tour manager), we believe Fleet Foxes’ ethereal, layered harmonies of vocals, guitars, mandolins, organs, dulcimers, tom-toms and more, often labeled “baroque harmonic pop” (think Beach Boys meets Band of Horses), have earned them a spot on Seattle’s long playlist of original sounds.