Biography

Playing clever and tuneful indie pop with a folkie touch, Kopecky started out as the Kopecky Family Band, and while the group members were friends rather than siblings, their precise but homey harmonies and loose but tight arrangements gave their music a spirited, familiar feel. Kopecky was formed in 2007 by Kelsey Kopecky (keyboards, bass, and vocals) and Gabe Simon (guitars, horns, and vocals) when they were both students at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee. The two discovered they had similar tastes in music and began jamming together; in time, a handful of other young, like-minded Nashville players joined them, including Steven Holmes on guitar and lap steel, Markus Midkiff on cello, guitar, and keys, Corey Oxendine on bass, guitar, and horns, and David Krohn on drums. Adopting the name the Kopecky Family Band, the combo began playing local gigs and released an EP, Embraces, in November 2008. A second EP, The Disaster, followed in August 2010, and a third, Of Epic Proportions, followed just three months later. By this time, the group had made a name for themselves on Nashville's indie scene, and began touring extensively to spread the word about the band. ATO Records, the artist-friendly indie label founded by Dave Matthews, signed the Kopecky Family Band to a recording contract, and in April 2013, they released their debut, Kids Raising Kids. The album received enthusiastic reviews, and the song "Heartbeat" became a radio hit. As the band's star rose, they announced that they were streamlining their name in late 2014, and that the Kopecky Family Band would now be doing business simply as Kopecky. By this time, they were hard at work on their second album, and Drug for the Modern Age was released in June of 2015. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi