Hotel Lights

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Hotel Lights are a band founded by Darren Jessee in 2003 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina -- the city where Jessee's previous band, Ben Folds Five, originally formed in 1994.

[edit] Band history

Fans of Darren Jessee - singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and former Ben Folds Five drummer - have long been wondering when he would release the debut disc of his new band, Hotel Lights. It had previously been available only as a very limited self-release, one that generated a serious interest, and prompted lots of internet chatter about when the album might actually show up at the local bricks-and-mortar record store. It's easy to see what everyone was getting excited about: the self-titled debut, is a collection of elegantly arranged, folk-tinged pop that will appeal to fans of the Shins, Yo La Tengo, Sufjan Stevens and, of course, Ben Folds. (Darren co-wrote such BF5 classics as the beautifully melancholy "Brick" , "Magic" and "Song For The Dumped".)

Accompanying Darren on Hotel Lights are drummer Zeke Hutchins, bassist Roger Gupton, and keyboardist Chris Badger. They recorded the album at Sound of Music in Virginia, with guitarist and producer Alan Weatherhead (Sparklehorse), who wound up joining the band. Adam Schlesinger from Fountains of Wayne helped out with some of the arrangements.

The music is richly layered with melodious keyboards, crisp guitars, soft pianos and a generally laid-back feel. Hotel Lights play with authority and confidence, creating their own brand of timeless pop. Jessee's vocals are as distinct and endearing as the songs themselves, but it's his lyrics that set him apart from his peers, with an honest story-telling quality, he repeatedly touches upon the holy trinity of great pop records: love, loss, and starting over.

Hotel Lights was signed to Bar/None Records in 2006.