Biography

In 2001, Greg Bertens (aka Krayg Burton) recorded a moody, shoegaze-colored bedroom album called Brilliant Career. The spare, introspective pop was a soothing antidote to the rave scene then dominant in the Bay Area. Over the years Film School has continued to buck trends and expand their sound into the effects-swathed psych rock and powerful live sets they are known for today, well ahead of the recent shoegaze renaissance, drawing comparisons to bands like Slowdive and Catherine Wheel. Recordings have featured guest appearances by members of Pavement and My Bloody Valentine among others. In addition to Bertens, current band members include Noël Brydebell (vocals), Nyles Lannon (guitar), Jason Ruck (synths), Justin LaBo (bass), and Adam Wade (drums). In 2006 Film School signed with the legendary Beggars Banquet, toured abroad with the National, and played shows with Swervedriver before going on hiatus in 2011. Other releases included EP June (2016), LP Bright to Death (2018), LP We Weren’t Here (2021), and the upcoming LP Field (August 2023) for Felte Records. Field cements Film School as a distinct, dominant force in the shoegaze scene. Soaked in an emotionally open, imaginative atmosphere, the album is both singular and expansive, and leaves the door open for a constantly evolving interpretation. Film School have never confined themselves to the rigidity of specifics, and it’s on Field that they urge us to look beyond the binary of certainty, and to take a second look.