A duo whose ambient soundscapes have drawn comparisons to artists like Boards of Canada and Sigur Rós, Hammock formed in Nashville, TN, in 2004. The duo was originally conceived by Marc Byrd and Andrew Thompson, who were both former members of the alt-CCM band Common Children. Hammock released their debut full-length, Kenotic, on their eponymous label in 2004; The Sleepover Series, Vol. 1 followed one year later. The duo's profile was heightened in 2006 during the Winter Olympics when NBC played several of their songs during their coverage of the figure skating competition. Darla signed Hammock later that year, and the band's third album, Raising Your Voice... Trying to Stop an Echo, emerged in November. Hammock's fourth full-length, Maybe They Will Sing for Us Tomorrow, came out in 2008. The album, influenced heavily by the work of Jónsi & Alex, found the duo striving for a more stripped-down, minimal sound. 2011's EP The Longest Year reflected the trials and tribulations -- including the flooding of Byrd's home -- the band experienced in 2010.

~ Margaret Reges, Rovi