American Princes

American Princes are an edgy but tuneful indie rock quintet whose angular guitar lines and anxiety-inflected vocals blend with hooky melodies and solid rhythms. American Princes are also a rare example of a band that moved away from the big city in pursuit of success; vocalist and rhythm guitarist David Slade, drummer Matt Quinn, and bassist John Beachford began working together while they were living in New York City, but the pressure and expense of life there made it hard to focus on their music. In early 2003, they pulled up stakes and hit the road for Little Rock, AR, in search of cheaper digs and more time to spend on the band. A dying van stranded Slade in New Jersey for a few weeks while his bandmates settled in down South; by the time he arrived in Little Rock, Quinn and Beachford had been jamming with Collins Kilgore, a local guitar player whose style meshed well with the new arrivals. By August, the band had recorded their first album, We Are the People, for the independent Max Records label, and set out on a nationwide tour. The summer of 2004 saw the release of a second album, Little Spaces, also released by Max. The band toured even more extensively behind their second effort, and in early 2005 Beachford left American Princes, with Luke Hunsicker taking over as bassist.

On the advice of their friends in the band Lucero, American Princes signed a deal with Yep Roc Records in mid-2005 and went into the studio with producer Alan Weatherhead to record their third album (and first for their new label), 2006's Less and Less. Guitarist/vocalist Will Boyd joined the Princes' lineup by the end of that year, and Less and Less went on to gain the band a number of new fans, including veteran R&B producer Chuck Brody (Beastie Boys, Northern State, Wu Tang Clan). In an unlikely partnership, Brody signed on as the band's new producer, and American Princes decamped to his Manhattan studio to work on a fourth full-length release. Other People arrived in April 2008 and introduced elements of '80s-styled new wave and post-punk to the band's sound.

from Wikipedia:

American Princes is an indie rock band from Little Rock, AR. The band started in 2003 when David Slade, then-bassist John Beachboard and drummer Matthew Quin moved to Little Rock from New York City. Within their first year in Arkansas, they met guitarist Collins Kilgore and released their first album, We Are the People, on Max Recordings. In 2004, after their first national tour, American Princes released their second album, Little Spaces, also on Max Recordings. Luke Hunsicker (Sugar and the Raw) joined the 2004 tour in support of Little Spaces.

In 2005, the band signed with Yep Roc Records and went into Richmond’s Sound of Music studio with producer Alan Weatherhead to record their most recent album Less and Less. Since the release of Less and Less some of the bands American Princes have shared the stage with include The Flaming Lips, The Roots, Big Star, The Hold Steady, Spoon, De La Soul, Lucero, Catfish Haven, John Doe, The Apples in Stereo, and others. In 2006 guitarist Will Boyd joined the band, and in the Summer of 2007 the band began work on their fourth album with producer Chuck Brody (Wu Tang Clan, Northern State) in New York.

In January 2007 Magnet Magazine released their Best Albums of 2006 list on which Less and Less appeared as number 17. American Princes' 2008 release Other People was voted #1 on Magnet Magazine's Best Albums of 2008 list.

Bassist Luke Hunsicker died of brain cancer in August 2010.