Azure Ray is an American dream pop duo, consisting of musicians Orenda Fink and Maria Taylor. Formed in Athens, Georgia, in 2001, they later moved to Omaha, Nebraska, and became part of the Saddle Creek Records music scene, which also included Bright Eyes, The Faint, and Cursive. Azure Ray's music has often been featured in film and television, including Six Feet Under, Grey's Anatomy, and The Devil Wears Prada.
Todd Fink is the lead singer of the band The Faint. He attended Omaha's Westside High School.
Michael Riley Mogis is an American producer/engineer and multi-instrumentalist who, along with his brother A.J. Mogis, founded Presto! Recording Studios. Mogis currently runs ARC in downtown Omaha.
Clark Alan Baechle is an American founding member of the Omaha-based electronic rock band The Faint, along with his brother, Todd Fink. Although he is primarily known for playing drums, he also sings backing vocals and is heavily involved with other aspects of the band's output, such as programming electronic instruments and sequencers, and designing and programming lights for their live shows.
Maria Diane Taylor is an American singer-songwriter from Birmingham, Alabama. She is also a member of the duo Azure Ray with Orenda Fink. Taylor plays several instruments, including the guitar, drums, and piano and has collaborated or performed with such artists as Bright Eyes, Phoebe Bridgers, Moby, Michael Stipe of R.E.M., Joshua Radin, and more.
Orenda Fink is an American singer, musician, and writer. Perhaps best known as half of the duo Azure Ray, Fink is also a member of Art in Manila, O+S, Closeness, and High Up, and has played with or appeared as a guest on records by Bright Eyes, Conor Oberst, Moby, The Faint, Pete Yorn, and others. She is married to Todd Fink of The Faint.
Saddle Creek 50 is a compilation by Saddle Creek Records in honor of being the label's 50th album release. It was released in 2003 and features one album track and one non-album track by each of the bands then recording for the label.
Eric Emil Bachmann is an American multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and producer. He rose to prominence as the frontman of Archers of Loaf and Crooked Fingers. Originally a saxophone major at Appalachian State University, Bachmann's music is distinctive for its creative and innovative arrangements. In addition to the guitar, he plays the piano and banjo regularly on tour. He was born in Greensboro, North Carolina, and grew up throughout the Southern United States. He currently lives in Athens, Georgia.
Carved in Sand is the third regular studio album by The Mission, released in 1990. It reached #7 in the UK Albums Chart, making it the second of two top ten albums and overall best-selling album in the band's career. Four singles were released from the album: "Butterfly on a Wheel", "Deliverance", "Into the Blue", "Hands Across the Ocean" / "Amelia". The band had invited members of its fan club to help select the tracks for the album.
Grains of Sand is a compilation album by gothic rock band The Mission, released in October 1990. A number of the tracks were originally recorded for their previous album, Carved in Sand, but not included on that release. Also included are acoustic versions of previously released songs and the Andy Partridge co-produced single 'Hands Across the Ocean'.
Andy LeMaster is an American musician, songwriter, engineer, and producer from Toccoa, Georgia. Now It's Overhead is the primary project for his own songwriting, while he also releases music under his own name and contributes as a co-writer on various projects. LeMaster has engineered, produced, and performed on many albums since he began recording in the late 1990s, including releases by Bright Eyes, Now It's Overhead, Azure Ray, Conor Oberst, Maria Taylor, Orenda Fink, Better Oblivion Community Center, and Michael Stipe. He is co-owner of Chase Park Transduction recording studio in Athens with fellow producer/engineer/musician, David Barbe. He has been a frequent touring member of Bright Eyes since the late 90's, and has performed live as a band member with several other artists including Azure Ray, Fischerspooner, and Michael Stipe. LeMaster is also a talented visual artist, and has done all the covers for Now It's Overhead's records. Andy has stated in interviews that he identifies as gay. He made a guest appearance on Late Night with David Letterman in 2007 playing bass as a rotating member of the band Bright Eyes.
Eric Dodd, known professionally as Eric Valentine, is an American record producer who began his career as drummer and producer in the heavy metal band T-Ride.
Ben Brodin is a music producer, recording and mix engineer, composer, and multi-instrumentalist from Omaha, Nebraska. He is a member of several bands, including Mal Madrigal, McCarthy Trenching, Our Fox and The Mynabirds, and has performed both live and in the studio with artists such as Conor Oberst and First Aid Kit. Brodin is a recording engineer at ARC Studios, formerly Presto! Recording Studios, and his own Hand Branch Studio.
Drawing Down the Moon is an album released by the band Azure Ray. It was released September 14, 2010 on Saddle Creek Records, seven years since their previous album Hold On Love.
Something About Knowing is the fifth album by Maria Taylor, released on October 29, 2013 on Saddle Creek Records. The album finds Taylor returning to working with producer Mike Mogis of Bright Eyes, recording a majority of the record in Omaha and three songs in her hometown of Birmingham. Other collaborations on this record include her brother, multi-instrumentalist Macey Taylor of Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band and Jenny Lewis, mixing by Andy Lemaster, and co-writing and recording two songs with Brad Armstrong of 13 Ghosts.
The Pains of Growing is the second studio album by Canadian singer and songwriter Alessia Cara. The album was released on November 30, 2018, by Def Jam Recordings. Its songs were mostly written by Cara herself, with co-writing from producers Pop & Oak. The Pains of Growing is a "coming of age" record, inspired by three years of the singer's life that led up to its release. Primarily, the album touches themes such as anxiety, heartbreak, and loneliness, as of Cara's experiences inside the music industry. Critics named Cara and her sound as "the big-sister of pop", and praised Cara's songwriting ability. The album would eventually win a Juno Award for Album of the Year at the 2020 Juno Awards, and would also receive accolades on other categories that same year.
As Above, So Below is the seventh studio release by American duo Azure Ray, consisting of Maria Taylor and Orenda Fink. It was originally released on September 4, 2012, on Saddle Creek Records and features co-production by Andy LeMaster and Todd Fink. Following a 2-year hiatus after the release of Drawing Down the Moon, Fink and a pregnant Taylor entered the studio to record six news songs, with a more "hypnotic" "electronica" influence in collaboration with Andy LeMaster and Todd Fink. On July 17, 2012, Stereogum premiered the "starry, shivering cut" “Scattered Like Leaves.” NPR premiered "Red Balloon" on August 9, 2012, calling the "long, slow summer swoon," "devastating melancholy." Rolling Stone premiered the full EP stream on August 28, 2012.
Waves is the eighth studio release by American duo Azure Ray, consisting of Maria Taylor and Orenda Fink. It was released on October 26, 2018, on Flower Moon Records.
Indistinct Conversations is the fourth full-length album by Canadian indie rock band Land of Talk, released on July 31, 2020 through Saddle Creek Records and Dine Alone Records.
"The Valley of the Pagans" is a song by British virtual band Gorillaz featuring Beck. The track was released on 5 November 2020 as the ninth and final single for Gorillaz' seventh studio album, Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez, and the eighth episode of the Song Machine project, a web series which involves the ongoing release of various Gorillaz tracks featuring different guest musicians over the course of 2020.
