Beach House

Beach House is an American dream pop group from Baltimore, United States. It forms in 2004 and consists of Victoria Legrand and Alex Scally, with James Barone also listed as an official third member from 2022. The group is associated with dream pop, indie pop, pop, shoegaze and slowcore, and releases music on Apple Orchard Music.

History

Beach House forms in Baltimore after Victoria Legrand moves there from Paris in 2004 and meets Alex Scally through a mutual friend. Before forming the band, both are in Daggerhearts, which disbands in 2005. Legrand handles vocals and organ, while Scally plays guitar and provides backing vocals. Legrand is also the niece of French composer Michel Legrand.

The band draws attention within a year of forming, including through the song “Apple Orchard”, which appears on Pitchfork’s Infinite Mixtape MP3 series in August 2006. Their self-titled debut album follows in October 2006 on Carpark. Devotion arrives in 2008, and in 2009 Beach House signs to Sub Pop, marking a move away from Carpark. Teen Dream follows in 2010 and receives widespread critical acclaim.

Bloom is recorded in 2011 at Sonic Ranch in Tornillo, Texas, and released in 2012 as the group’s second Sub Pop album. It includes the singles “Myth” and “Lazuli”, debuts at number seven on the US Billboard 200, and is supported by two tours and the short film Forever Still.

In 2014, Beach House contributes “Saturn Song” to Lefse Records’ compilation The Space Project. Depression Cherry is recorded between late 2014 and early 2015 and released in 2015, debuting at number eight on the US Billboard 200. Later that year, Thank Your Lucky Stars is issued as a separate album, not as a companion to Depression Cherry or a set of B-sides.

The band releases the compilation B-Sides and Rarities in 2017. Their seventh album, 7, follows in 2018. It is co-produced by Sonic Boom, the alias of Peter Kember of Spacemen 3, and is promoted by the singles “Lemon Glow”, “Dive”, “Dark Spring” and “Black Car”.

In 2019, Beach House works with arts company Meow Wolf on the short film “Marin’s Dreams” for the Omega Mart exhibition. Once Twice Melody is issued in 2022 through Sub Pop, after being released in four chapters. The album tops the US Billboard Top Album Sales chart in its first week. In 2023, the band releases the EP Become, made up of five tracks recorded during the Once Twice Melody sessions.

Collaborations and recordings

Legrand appears on Frenemies’ Birds in High School album, singing on “Waiting for the Ambulance” with Chris Freeland. She also contributes to Grizzly Bear’s Veckatimest and sings on “Slow Life”, which appears on the soundtrack for Twilight: New Moon.