A Primer On: Built to Spill

by Jerome Locson on February 14th, 2008

Built to Spill…

Former Treepeople leader Doug Martsch formed Built to Spill in 1992 with Brett Netson and Ralf Youtz as the band’s original members. In an interview with Spin magazine, Martsch stated that he intended to change the band’s lineup for every album, himself being the only permanent member. After the band’s first album, Ultimate Alternative Wavers was released in 1993, Netson and Youtz were replaced by Brett Nelson (not Netson) and Andy Capps for 1994’s There’s Nothing Wrong with Love. A compilation album called The Normal Years, which included recordings by both line-ups as well as a track by Built to Spill Caustic Resin, was released in 1996. Between recording albums in 1995, the band gained exposure by playing on the Lollapalooza tour.

Martsch signed Built to Spill to Warner Bros. Records in 1995. Unlike many artists signed to major labels, the deal the band brokered with Warner Bros. allowed it to retain a large degree of creative control over future albums. Built to Spill produced its first major label release in 1997 with Perfect from Now On. By this time, the band consisted of Martsch, Nelson, Netson, and Scott Plouf. Perfect from Now On met with critical success and caused Built to Spill to become one of the United States’ most recognizable indie rock bands. Before releasing another album, Martsch made Nelson and Plouf permanent members of the band. In 1999, the band released Keep It Like a Secret to continued critical success, and for the first time, significant commercial success. Live was released in 2000, and the band’s fifth studio album, Ancient Melodies of the Future, was released in 2001. [ read more from Wikipedia ]