Andalusia

Andalusia forms in 1996 and begins as a Bay Area trio, built around guitarist Cameron Ray, bassist Kirsten Burns and drummer Jon Burns. The group develops its early sound through club dates around the Bay Area, live and studio tapings for local cable television and radio, and touring in the Pacific Northwest.

The band plays instrumental music in its first years, with a stark style that later grows into a dreamier form when it adds vocals. It releases the instrumental EP This is Noplace in 1999, followed by the full-length album Such a Heavenly Eyesore in 2001. Although that album is largely instrumental, it includes occasional guest vocalists.

In April 2002, Andalusia adds Suzi Maclay as a permanent vocalist. Her ethereal voice arrives as tracks from Such a Heavenly Eyesore gain airplay on more than 100 college radio stations, and two songs appear on MTV’s Road Rules in summer 2002. The band then issues the four-track limited-edition EP Demonstration in March 2003.

Andalusia continues to perform frequently in the Bay Area and tours widely across the United States. Its sound is described through the contrast between Ray’s guitar lines, Kirsten Burns’ heavy bass, Suzi Maclay’s shifting melodies and Jon Burns’ drumming, with the group moving between instrumental passages and vocal-led songs.