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• Indie rock group Built to Spill was formed in Boise, Idaho in 1992 by guitarist Doug Martsch. Martsch has said that he intentionally wanted to collaborate with new musicians on each album, but the complexity of most Built to Spill songs made such a scheme difficult to carry off, particularly in terms of live performances. Bassist/guitarist Brett Nelson and drummer Scott Plouf are now regular members of the band's line-up.

• Fast Facts

  1. Record label: Warner Bros.
  2. Albums produced by Phil Ek
  3. Played on the second stage of 1995 Lollapalooza tour

• Albums

  1. Ultimate Alternative Wavers (1993)
  2. There's Nothing Wrong With Love (1994)
  3. Perfect From Now On (1997)
  4. Keep It Like a Secret (1999)
  5. Ancient Melodies of the Future (2001)
  6. You in Reverse (2006)

• Influences

  Martsch has identified Dinosaur Jr. as a significant influence on Built to Spill's sound, particularly the noisy, catchy guitar work of J Mascis. He has also discussed his appreciation for Neil Young and Pavement at length, and frequently covers the former in concert. Other bands frequently covered by Built to Spill include Camper Van Beethoven, David Bowie, Modest Mouse and The Velvet Underground.

• Side Projects

  Before forming Built to Spill, Martsch was in the band Treepeople, based in Seattle, Washington. Many members of Treepeople were former members of the punk band State of Confusion.

  Martsch is also an original member of the band The Halo Benders, along with Calvin Johnson from Beat happening. The gorup has recorded three full-length albums, and most recently played together in March of 2007 at the Visual Arts Collective in Boise.

• Related Mahalo Pages

  Modest Mouse | Pavement | Dinosaur Jr. | Neil Young | The Wrens | Stephen Malkmus | Sparklehorse | Heatmiser

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