Tracker (band)
Encyclopedia
Tracker is an American indie rock
ensemble from Portland, Oregon
. The act was founded in 1998 by John Askew, a freelance audio engineer and writer
for Tape Op
magazine.
, initially performed studio recordings with little (if any) assistance, and recruited a revolving line of musicians for live performances. Among the artists in tow include Michael Schorr
, the drummer
with Death Cab for Cutie
as well as Dave Harding
, the bassist
with Richmond Fontaine
. Schorr would eventually become a mainstay with the act.
As Death Cab for Cutie came to prominence, Tracker shared stages with them, alongside Giant Sand
, Calexico, and The Black Heart Procession
.
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
ensemble from Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
. The act was founded in 1998 by John Askew, a freelance audio engineer and writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
for Tape Op
Tape Op
Tape Op is a recording magazine that focuses on creative recording techniques. Subtitled, "The Creative Music Recording Magazine," It is free to subscribers in the United States and United Kingdom, as well as offering paid subscriptions to the United States of America, all of Europe, Canada,...
magazine.
Background
Askew, a multi-instrumentalistMulti-instrumentalist
A multi-instrumentalist is a musician who plays a number of different instruments.The Bachelor of Music degree usually requires a second instrument to be learned , but people who double on another instrument are not usually seen as multi-instrumentalists.-Classical music:Music written for Symphony...
, initially performed studio recordings with little (if any) assistance, and recruited a revolving line of musicians for live performances. Among the artists in tow include Michael Schorr
Michael Schorr
Michael Schorr is the former drummer of Death Cab for Cutie with whom he recorded The Photo Album and two of their EPs The Forbidden Love E.P. and The Stability E.P.. He has also played for The Long Winters...
, the drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
with Death Cab for Cutie
Death Cab for Cutie
Death Cab for Cutie is an American alternative rock band formed in Bellingham, Washington in 1997. The band consists of Ben Gibbard , Chris Walla , Nick Harmer and Jason McGerr ....
as well as Dave Harding
Dave Harding
David "Dave" Harding is a former football midfielder. He played for Wrexham from 1965 to 1966 before moving to Australia where he played for Pan Hellenic, Western Suburbs, Blacktown City and APIA until 1981...
, the bassist
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
with Richmond Fontaine
Richmond Fontaine
-History:Formed in 1994, Richmond Fontaine started touring the Pacific Northwest live circuit to support their first three albums released on Cavity Search Records. Gradually gaining attention in the UK and Europe the band began regularly touring there. Most of the core musicians and producer JD...
. Schorr would eventually become a mainstay with the act.
As Death Cab for Cutie came to prominence, Tracker shared stages with them, alongside Giant Sand
Giant Sand
Giant Sand is an American rock band, based in Tucson, Arizona, USA. The name is shortened from the original Giant Sandworms, a reference to the creatures in the Dune books. Overseen by singer-songwriter Howe Gelb, its membership has shifted over the years—at times with each album...
, Calexico, and The Black Heart Procession
The Black Heart Procession
The Black Heart Procession is an indie rock band from San Diego, California. The band was formed in 1997 by Pall Jenkins and Tobias Nathaniel...
.
Discography
- Ames (2001 release on the FILMguerreroFILMguerreroFILMguerrero is an independent record label based in Portland, Oregon. It was founded in 1998 by John Askew as a way to release Ames, the debut album by Askew's studio project Tracker. Since then, the label has gone on to release CDs, LPs and EPs by a number of different artists...
imprint) - Polk (2002 release via FILMguerrero)
- Blankets (2004 release via FILMguerrero)