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All Music Guide:
The dreamy indie rock sounds of Trespassers William is composed by Ross Simonini (bass/keyboards), Anna-Lynne Williams (vocals/guitar), Matt Brown (guitar/keyboards), and Jamie Williams (drums). Matt and Anna-Lynne started the band as a twosome in 1997 during the SoCal punk revival heyday. Two years later, Ross was added to the group, and the band self-released its debut album, Anchor. Shows in and around the West Coast followed, as did exposure on college radio. By 2002, Trespassers William was a full-fledged group with Jamie stepping to play drums.
Bella Union's Simon Raymonde caught wind of the band's lush soundscape. His label issued Trespassers William's second album, Different Stars, in the U.K. that same year. Shows with the Chameleons UK's Mark Burgess, Morrissey, Tim Booth, Damien Rice, and Lisa Germano followed. Spots on KCRW, KEXP, and XFM added to Trespassers William's growing popularity. Nettwerk took notice and signed the band to a proper record deal in 2003. Their music had already appeared in episodes of The O.C., Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and MTV's The Real World and Road Rules by this time. Different Stars was reissued via Nettwerk in fall 2004. Having followed two years later.
Wikipedia:
Trespassers William was an indie rock/dream pop band known for its ethereal music. Originally from Southern California, they moved to the Sodo/Capitol Hill area of Seattle, Washington.
History
Formed in Orange County, California in 1997, Trespassers William released four albums and two E.P.'s. Anchor (1999) appeared on Sonikwire Records and is now out of print. Different Stars was self-released in 2002 and was re-released twice — most recently on Nettwerk Records on October 19, 2004. In early 2004, the band moved to Seattle. Their third album, Having, (mixed by the Flaming Lips producer, Dave Fridmann) was released on February 28, 2006. The band toured the United States and Europe several times, including a U.K. tour with Damien Rice and a festival appearance in Spain with Morrissey. The band's music attracted modest press coverage and exposure, most notably in British magazines such as NME and Uncut and was featured on such television shows as One Tree Hill, The O.C., Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Felicity, and movies such as A Love Song for Bobby Long and Annapolis.
The band disbanded at the beginning of 2012. A B-sides and rarities collection is scheduled to be released on Saint Marie records in 2012. Anna-Lynne Williams continues to write and record as Lotte Kestner and one half of the duo Ormonde. Matt Brown is working on more Disinterested material and is playing with and producing several other groups.
Band name origin
Trespassers William's name is from a Winnie-the-Pooh tale, Pooh and Piglet Go Hunting and Nearly Catch a Woozle by A.A. Milne:
"Next to [Piglet's] house was a piece of broken board which had: "TRESPASSERS W" on it. When Christopher Robin asked the Piglet what it meant, he said it was his grandfather's name…short for Trespassers Will, which was short for Trespassers William. And his grandfather had had two names in case he lost one — Trespassers after an uncle, and William after Trespassers."
