Memphis

by MacKenzie WilsonTorquil Campbell and Chris Dumont create the mesmerizing experimental sounds of Memphis. Dumont, a North Carolina native, met Campbell while working in New York City in the early '90s. Both had formed a band with fellow Canucks Chris Seligman, James Shaw, and Adam Marvy. The stint was short-lived, for Seligman and Campbell went on to form Stars while Shaw connected with Emily Haines for the synth pop outfit Metric. In summer 2002, while vacationing in Campbell's hometown of Vancouver, Dumont and his longtime friend finally put their creative ideas to paper; thus, the intricate jazz-influenced tinkerings of Memphis were born. The A Good Day Sailing EP marked the Canadian-American duo's debut that same year. Two years later, the lush pop illustrations of I Dreamed We Fell Apart arrived on the Toronto-based imprint Paper Bag. For 2006's A Little Place in the Wilderness, Memphis showcased a more relaxed, acoustic guitar-based sound; it marked their first release for Good Fences and featured additional instrumentation from Shaw (bass/trumpet), Erik Hove (saxophone), and Jon Hyde (pedal steel guitar).