Choir of Young Believers

Formed in 2006 by Lake Placid guitarist Jannis Noya Makrigiannis as a solo project, Denmark's Choir of Young Believers rely on a rotating cast of musicians to flesh out their acoustic-based, grandiose indie pop. The Danish-Greek-Indonesian Makrigiannis' myriad influences first appeared on the group's debut EP for the Tigerspring label. Released in 2007, Burn the Flag found success on the Danish charts and was soon re-released nationally to critical acclaim. The band's first studio long-player, This Is for the White in Your Eyes, was issued via Tigerspring in 2008; it was nominated for six Danish Music Awards and won in the Best New Act category. 2009 saw Choir of Young Believers ink a U.S. deal with Ghostly International, which released their debut stateside later that year. The group's sophomore full-length outing, Rhine Gold, arrived in 2012, followed in 2016 by Grasque, both on the Ghostly label. Jannis Noya Makrigiannis died near the end of 2022 after a brief illness; his representatives revealed his passing on January 5, 2023. ~ James Christopher Monger