fours

fours is an indie folk and folk-rock project that begins in the autumn of 2007, when Will and Ned write songs together and then bring in Chris on drums and Jason on bass. The group starts as an acoustic duo idea and becomes a four-piece guitar band. Its early recorded work includes a four-song EP titled Dirty Laundry, Part 2: The Drying, which runs for about 15 minutes. After that release, the band chooses the name Viv.

By 2010, the members are living in different places: Will lives in Norway, Ned in southern Minnesota, and Chris and Jason in Duluth. Despite that distance, the band continues in several different line-ups, with Will and Ned still writing and introducing new songs. The group records an EP of entirely new material for a planned tour in January 2011.

The name changes to fours after Ned discovers that another musician has already been using Viv. The band also notes that other groups have the same name, including a Serbian techno act with no recordings or past performances and a post-punk band with fewer credentials, and continues under the new name.