House of Fools

by Corey AparGreensboro, NC's House of Fools was originally a side project for the Necessary vocalist Josh King that started when he began writing songs on the side with keyboardist Matt Bowers. Though a local favorite, the Necessary soon took a back seat to House of Fools, and the two recruited most of King's old bandmates, bassist Jeff Linn and guitarists Joel Kiser and David McLaughlin, to join up with the Fools. With the final addition of new drummer Phil Bell, the sextet was complete. Hooking up with producer Walt Vincent (Pete Yorn, the Format), House of Fools set their wispy and gentle indie rock musings to record with a self-titled EP, released by Drive-Thru Records in October 2006. Subsequent shows with Steel Train, Virginia Coalition, and Daphne Loves Derby led into the early March 2007 appearance of their full-length Live and Learn, whose sunny pop formula showcased the influence of acts like the Beatles and Tom Petty.