Biography

Before launching his solo career, Gerald Slevin was the chief songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and vocalist of Brooklyn NY’s psychedelic, vocal harmony-driven art-pop outfit, The Color Bars. Along with bandmates Dave Spelber (drums) and John English (guitar), the band emerged in the mid-2000s with the eclectic self-recorded The Color Bars EP. Hot on its heels followed the regionally acclaimed underground-sleeper LP, Making Playthings, which established their signature layered production, whimsical arrangements, and Beatlesque vocals. The Color Bars performed and toured for several years throughout the US, sharing bills with artists like The National and Metric. They eventually played SXSW, which led to a record deal with Japanese label, 5D. A subsequent tour of Japan and relocation from their native NYC to Seattle resulted in the expansive concept album, Kairos At Infinity, which raised the bar for Slevin’s imaginative lyrics and the band’s meticulously layered self-production. The band’s live show was filled out with a variety of new musicians, including members of of Montreal, Hurray For The Riff Raff, and Pickwick. The Color Bars returned to Brooklyn in the 2010s and released the synth-pop masterpiece, Prosopopoeia, which ended up being their most sweeping and ambitious work to date. After releasing a string of singles in the late 2010s, the band amicably went on hiatus as Slevin began to focus on his solo efforts.