This Seattle, Washington, USA-based band caused a notable stir in indie rock circles with the release of their 2006 debut, Everything All The Time. Ben Bridwell (b. Benjamin Bridwell, Irmo, South Carolina, USA; vocals/guitar) and Mat Brooke (b. Tucson, Arizona, USA; guitar) had originally worked together in the Seattle-based slow-core specialists Carissa's Wierd, releasing a number of low-key but acclaimed albums around the turn of the new millennium. The unit disbanded in late 2003, leaving Brooke and Bridwell to launch the short-lived November 16th. The duo then teamed up with Chris Early (bass) and Tim Meinig (drums) in the Horses, a moniker that quickly expanded to Band Of Horses. The quartet signed a recording contract with esteemed independent label Sub Pop Records and released their self-titled debut EP. Ex-Carissa's Wierd drummer Sera Cahoone shared drumming duties with Meinig on Everything All The Time. The album saw Bridwell and Brooke moving further away from the downbeat stylings of Carissa's Wierd, with guitars and drums amped up to great effect on a compelling collection of indie pop material. Notable stand-outs included opener "The First Song", the stately "The Great Salt Lake", and downbeat closer "St. Augustine".
Joe Narnone (guitar/keyboards) had joined the band shortly before the release of the album, but in the space of a few months the line-up had undergone a complete transformation, with co-founder Brooke leaving to form Grand Archives. The sole remaining member of the original line-up, Ben Bridwell, was joined by Creighton Barrett (drums), Rob Hampton (bass) and Ryan Monroe (keyboards). Despite the change in personnel, Cease To Begin, released at the end of 2007 by Sub Pop, carried on from where its predecessor left off and earned the band another round of excellent reviews.
