The Magnetic Fields are an American indie/experimental/synth pop (genres are hard) band founded and led by singer-songwriter Stephin Merritt. While it initially began as a studio project by Merritt in collaboration with Shirley Simms called Buffalo Rome, the story goes that Claudia Gonson, a high school friend of Merritt's, began to assemble musicians together and play Merritt's music live throughout the city of Boston without his permission. This annoyed Stephin to the point where he reluctantly ventured his way out of the studio and began performing live with Gonson and others, uniting under the name The Magnetic Fields. The name comes from André Breton and Philippe Soupault’s Les Champs Magnetiques, though Stephin says that this is "not a reference in the sense that it helps people understand the band better." Merritt and Gonson were later joined by two other musicians , Sam Davol and John Woo.
After a rather rocky start performing in and around Cambridge, the band went back into the studio, releasing their first album, Distant Plastic Trees, in 1991. Singer Susan Anway was hired as lead vocalist on both this and the band's second studio album, The Wayward Bus. After Anway moved away from the Boston area, Merritt took on the responsibility of lead vocals. After Gonson, Woo, and Davol graduated from Harvard, the band took up permanent residency in New York City.
The band has been together ever since, releasing a whopping 12 albums since their debut in 1991. Despite years-long breaks, the group is still making music and touring, displaying an impressive feat of collaboration spanning across decades.
After a rather rocky start performing in and around Cambridge, the band went back into the studio, releasing their first album, Distant Plastic Trees, in 1991. Singer Susan Anway was hired as lead vocalist on both this and the band's second studio album, The Wayward Bus. After Anway moved away from the Boston area, Merritt took on the responsibility of lead vocals. After Gonson, Woo, and Davol graduated from Harvard, the band took up permanent residency in New York City.
The band has been together ever since, releasing a whopping 12 albums since their debut in 1991. Despite years-long breaks, the group is still making music and touring, displaying an impressive feat of collaboration spanning across decades.
The early days, 1990s. From left to right: John, Claudia, Stephin, and Sam.
Photo by Marcelo Krasilcic, 2017. From left to right: Shirley, Stephin, Sam, Claudia, and John.
Photo by Chris Buck, 2010. From left to right: Claudia, John, Stephin, and Sam.
Photo by Robin Holland, 1999. From left to right (standing): Claudia, John, Shirley, and LD. From left to right (sitting): Sam, Stephin, and Dudley.
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Photo by Chris Buck, 2010. From left to right: Sam, Stephin, John, and Claudia.
Photo by Marcelo Krasilcic, 2017. From left to right: Stephin, Claudia, Sam, John, and Shirley.
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