Built to Spill

Led by guitarist and songwriter Doug Martsch, Built to Spill bring together the flinty riffs and abstract lyrics of indie rock with guitar heroics worthy of packed arenas. Formed in 1992 in Boise, ID, by Martsch (formerly of indie-proggers Treepeople), Built to Spill released their first album, Ultimate Alternative Wavers, a year later. After a few more releases and lineup rotations, as well as a stint on Lollapalooza 1995, the band signed to Warner Bros.; their first release under that deal, 1997’s sprawling, introspective Perfect from Now On, was a triumph, a best-case scenario of major-label money bolstering grand artistic intentions. Its 1999 follow-up, Keep It Like a Secret, applied Built to Spill’s formula to pop gems like the stirring “The Plan.” From there, Martsch and an ever-shifting cast of musicians released ambitious albums like 2001’s cavernous Ancient Melodies of the Future and 2015’s pensive Untethered Moon and toured frequently. In 2021 Built to Spill—now the trio of Martsch, bassist Melanie Radford, and drummer Teresa Esguerra—signed to Sub Pop, with their first release for the storied indie, When the Wind Forgets Your Name, coming out the following September.