Hotel Lights

Essentially the solo vehicle for former Ben Folds Five drummer Darren Jessee, the mellow indie pop group Hotel Lights formed in Chapel Hill, NC, in 2000 after Ben Folds Five disbanded. Switching from drums to guitar, piano, and vocals, Jessee hooked up with guitarist/producer Alan Weatherhead, guitarist/keyboardist Chris Badger, bassist Roger Gupton, and drummer Mark Price for the band's debut eponymous album released on Bar/None Records in 2006. By 2007, Gupton and Price had been replaced by longtime Tift Merritt sidemen drummer Zeke Hutchins and bassist Jay Brown, and the band started work recording new material at Butch Vig's Smart Studios in Madison, WI. After finishing the album, Jessee relocated to New York City. Hotel Lights' sophomore effort, Firecracker People, was set for release on Bar/None in August of 2008. ~ Matt Collar, All Music Guide