Sleepy Vikings

Biography by Margaret Reges Sleepy Vikings' idiosyncratic indie pop sound combines introspective, reverb-kissed guitar work with drowsy, twangy vocals, a style of music the band refers to as "Southern shoegaze." Sandi Streppone and Nicole Schleif teamed up with a handful of other musicians to form Sleepy Vikings in Tampa, Florida in 2009, following the breakup of the like-minded indie pop group Giddy-Up, Helicopter! Sleepy Vikings' lineup shifted a bit early on, but by the time their debut arrived the lineup had solidified into a six-piece consisting of Tessa McKenna (vocals, keyboards), Sandra Covin (guitar), Nicole Schleif (guitar), Julian Conner (vocals, guitar), Sandi Streppone (bass), and Ryann Slauson (drums). By 2010 New Granada Records had put Sleepy Vikings on its roster, and the band rounded out the year touring in support of its upcoming debut on that label. Their profile enjoyed a healthy boost thanks to their performance at Toronto's NXNE Festival -- Paste Magazine named Sleepy Vikings one of the best acts at the festival, and subsequently invited them to record a couple songs for the magazine's online element. The band's debut full-length, They Will Find You Here, was released on New Granada in the spring of 2011. Sleepy Vikings embarked on an East Coast tour in support of the album that summer.