Page France

Page France was an American indie folk-pop band, fronted by Michael Nau. Active between 2004 and 2008, the band played mainly emotional melodic music.[2]

Page France
OriginCumberland/Hagerstown, Maryland, United States
GenresIndie folk[1]
Indie pop
Years active2004-2008
LabelsSuicide Squeeze Records
Fall Records
SpinoffsCotton Jones
Past membersClinton Jones
BJ Lewis
Bryan Martin
Whitney McGraw
Chris Morris
Michael Nau
Jasen Reeder
Matt Smith
David Tracy

History

The band was started as a solo project in 2004 by Michael Nau, but quickly evolved into a full-time project with a somewhat revolving lineup of friends and collaborators. The band self-released their debut album, Come, I'm A Lion, which was then picked up by Fall Records. Their second album, Hello, Dear Wind, was also released by Fall Records, then later re-released by Suicide Squeeze.[3]

The band released a double-EP on Fall Records in 2006, entitled Pear and Sister Pinecone. Immediately thereafter, the EP was abandoned and declared a "limited release" of 1,000 copies.

A tour EP entitled Tomato Morning was sold on the band's tours in 2006.

Page France's last album and third full-length, ...and the Family Telephone, was released May 8, 2007 on Suicide Squeeze Records.

The songs "Chariot" and "Jesus", both from Page France's second album, Hello Dear Wind, were featured in the TV series Weeds.

The Broadway Hush, Michael Nau's other side project, released 2 colored 7" records on Velvet Blue Music, which had artwork created by Richard Swift. Their last record deal was with Suicide Squeeze Records, before the disbandment in 2008, because of band leader Michael Nau wanting to focus his full attention on Cotton Jones.[4]

Influence

Page France is now considered by critics as one of the most influential indie folk-pop bands of the mid-2000's,[5][6] with comparisons to Conor Oberst and Jeff Tweedy.[7] They're credited for inspiring future characteristics of indie folk-pop including “sing-songy” vocal work, percussive arrangements and strophic song forms.[8][9]

Discography
Year Title Label
2004 Come, I'm a Lion self-released / Fall Records
2005 Hello, Dear Wind Fall Records / Suicide Squeeze Records
2006 Pear and Sister Pinecone (Double EP) Fall Records
2006 Tomato Morning (Tour EP) Suicide Squeeze Records
2007 ...and the Family Telephone Suicide Squeeze Records

Notes
  1. "Rock Picks: Rain Machine, Pearl Jam, Wallpaper, Bon Iver, Dodos". LA Weekly. 23 September 2009. Archived from the original on 16 July 2017. Retrieved 16 July 2017.
  2. "Cotton Jones: Tall Hours in the Glowstream". Pitchfork, by Martin Douglas, October 18, 2010
  3. CMJ Network, Inc. (September 2006). CMJ New Music Monthly. CMJ Network, Inc. p. 41. ISSN 1074-6978.
  4. SPIN Media LLC (September 2010). SPIN. SPIN Media LLC. p. 72. ISSN 0886-3032.
  5. "You Ain't No Picasso". www.youaintnopicasso.com. Archived from the original on 18 July 2011. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
  6. "Page France - Hello, Dear Wind (Album review ) | Sputnikmusic".
  7. "Baltimore's Page France Turns a Page; Calls it Quits".
  8. "Page France: Youthful Pop, Complete with Horns". NPR.org.
  9. "A few words with Michael Nau". 20 September 2017.
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