Smoosh

by Jason Ankeny Tween indie rock duo Smoosh formed in Seattle in 2002. At the time, eight-year-old Chloe (last name withheld) was a student at the Seattle Drum School whose instructor Jason McGerr (later the drummer in Death Cab for Cutie) suggested she begin collaborating with other fledgling musicians to better understand the role of percussion in rock music. Chloe simply went home and began playing with her ten-year-old sister Asya, who despite quitting piano lessons was now writing her own clever, buoyant songs on her keyboard. Dubbing the project Smoosh, the sisters recorded a demo of Asya's songs, and soon were staples of the local live circuit -- not only was the duo invited to perform live on Seattle's influential KEXP, but from there they were invited to open dates for acts including the aforementioned Death Cab, Sleater-Kinney, and Cat Power. After signing to the local Pattern 25 label, Smoosh teamed with producer Johnny Sangster to record its 2004 debut album, She Like Electric. In 2006, the sisters signed with indie stalwart Barsuk, which released their second album, Free to Stay, the same year.