Biography

Portland's the Shaky Hands play a smart, slightly shambolic brand of indie pop informed by classic folk-rock and British Invasion pop that had made them a local favorite in their hometown and earned them a growing international following. The Shaky Hands were formed in 2003 by singer and guitarist Nicholas Delffs and drummer Colin Anderson, who had recently arrived in Portland after leaving Mendocino, CA. Eager to start a band, Delffs and Anderson teamed up with bassist Paul Culp, and the trio began working up fresh material. The Shaky Hands began recording their new songs at a makeshift studio owned by guitarist Jeff Lehman, and before long Lehman was absorbed into the group. These early recording sessions evolved into an album called The Skidmore Days, which the Shaky Hands released themselves in 2004. Later that same year, Culp parted ways with the band and Mayhaw Hoons became the Shaky Hands' new bassist; he made his recorded debut with an EP the group put out in 2005. The Shaky Hands had become a frequent presence on the Portland music scene, playing anywhere and everywhere from house parties to Portland's PDX Now Pop Festival, and in 2007 the independent newspaper Willamette Week declared them Portland's Best New Band not long after the release of their second full-length album, The Shaky Hands on Holocene Records. The album became a critical favorite, and they were soon signed to the respected American indie label Kill Rock Stars as well as Europe's Memphis Industries. Before the release of 2008's Lunglight, the Shaky Hands experienced a personnel shake-up when Colin Anderson left the band and multi-instrumentalist Nathan Delffs (Nicholas' brother), who had already been working with the group, moved over to drums. By the end of 2008, Nathan Delffs was out of the group, and Jake Morris, formerly with the Joggers, was named the Shaky Hands' new drummer. Let It Die appeared in 2009. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi