Songs like You Are In Love and Deep In Your Heart exude the vibrancy and artistry of a seasoned band in full flight, bursting with confidence and inventiveness.
Founded in 2002 by high school friends Adam Merrin (piano/keys) and Keith Slettedahl (vocals/guitar), and solidified as a band with the additions of bassist Todd O'Keefe and drummer Anthony Zimmitti, The 88 made their mark on the Southern California indie scene, releasing two well-received albums and earning recognition as L.A. Weekly's Best Pop/Rock Band of the Year.
The band's energetic stage presentation quickly drew the attention of big label executives. The 88 signed with Island Records in 2007, and their big label debut was released the following year. In 2009, the band mutually parted ways, enabling them to return to the independent landscape that had allowed them to prosper.
Slettedahl spent the first half of the year producing home recordings, which were eventually completed by the band and published digitally as the unauthorized album This Must Be Love in 2009.
Shortly after beginning work on their self-titled first album in 2010, The 88 learned that Ray Davies was searching for a band to both support and back him on a U.S. tour. Affirmed Kinks aficionados all, the band recorded a half-dozen Kinks classics for Davies to evaluate.
As a consequence, the 88 found themselves on the largest tour of their career, sharing the stage with one of their greatest musical influences. Slettedahl says, "I still can't believe it." He is, after all, my hero.
A few months later, The 88 traveled to the United Kingdom for Davies' UK tour, which culminated in an amazing performance at London's iconic Royal Albert Hall, as well as their own first-ever British headlining concerts. Davies also encouraged the band to record a handful of songs for a Kinks tribute collection, See My Friends, at his world-famous Konk Studios.
Davies recorded tunes with Lucinda Williams and the late Alex Chilton, as well as a duet with the iconic Kinks singer on the classic David Watts. To find ourselves performing the Royal Albert Hall with Ray Davies and recording at Konk Studios all of a sudden... it was quite amazing, according to O'Keefe.
The FORTUNE TELLER LP maintains the same spark and creativity that has kept the band on the music industry's radar for the most of their existence.
In addition to touring with The B-52s, Matt Costa, Smashing Pumpkins, and the late Elliott Smith, the band has survived in large part due to a seemingly endless series of high-profile song placements spanning films, commercials, video games, and TV shows, as well as resourceful projects such as self-produced YouTube videos and the digital single, Love Is The Thing, reco Merrin adds, "We're continuously trying to find new things and come up with fresh concepts." The 88 re-entered the road with Ray Davies in late 2011, during which they made a number of television appearances on shows such as Live With Regis and Kelly and Late Night With Jimmy Fallon.
The band was given the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to play a Kinks medley with Davies at Clive Davis' annual Pre-Grammy Gala, sharing the stage alongside Jackson Browne and Elvis Costello in early 2012. According to Rolling Stone, the performance was the musical high point of the night.
The 88's film and television presence is currently rising to the top of the list, with music included in the Universal picture The Lorax and their song, At Least It Was Here, serving as the theme song to the NBC comedy Community. The band added a new accolade to their résumé in March: film scoring.
Friends With Kids, a Lionsgate release, saw the band co-scoring the Jennifer Westfeldt film while also providing three original songs. The 88 have created an extremely gratifying LP that stands out among their tremendous repertoire by keeping loyal to themselves.
And, with so many ongoing and forthcoming projects in music, television, and cinema, the band shows no signs of slowing down. However, like with any good artisan, their best is never enough. Slettedahl describes the situation as "still in the early stages." Merrin continues, "We have big plans for this band."
