The term “Attic Salt” refers to a delicate, refined wit; this proves an apt description of the sharp, and often darkly funny lyrical depictions heard on Kepler’s latest release. Armed with lush, but unfussy arrangements and stellar playing, the band easily shifts between feedback-drenched laments like “Broken Bottles Blackened Hearts,” the wall-of-sound orchestrations of “the Bedside Manner” or New-Wave-meets Motown stompers like the “The National Epithet.”

Kepler began in 1997 with three gentlemen (Samir Khan, Jon Georgekish-Watt, and Michael Sheridan) who formed a band devoted to playing slow, quiet, and intense music. Jeremy Gara, at that time best known for his drumming, joined the group as a guitarist in 1999. Kepler’s first lineup released an EP, several singles, and two full-length records in North America and Europe and toured extensively over said territories, gaining a loyal following garnering favourable reviews in some of “fairly important” music magazines, including Mojo (U.K.), Pitchforkmedia (U.S.), The Wire (U.K.), NME (U.K.), Rockzilla (Italy), the Gap (Austria), Stylus (U.S.) and Exclaim! (Canada). They were played on legendary U.K. BBC DJ John Peel’s radio program, were profiled and recorded live for CBC Radio’s “Brave New Waves” (Canada), and were the subject of a lengthy profile on VPRO Radio’s “de Avonden,” (Netherlands).

2003 was a busy year, seeing Kepler open for Montreal’s godspeed you Black Emperor! in Europe and mounting a successful tour of Canada. That busy year saw the band determined to break out of the strictly slow and quiet mold and take advantage of a new songwriting focus. Former drummer Mike Sheridan left the group in early 2003.
In the spring of 2003, they entered the studio of their longtime friend, producer Dave Draves (Howe Gelb, Kathleen Edwards, Julie Doiron, Wooden Stars, Snailhouse) on the day of the invasion of Iraq. The band had little idea of what their record would sound like, as they had at the point of recording, never played any of its songs with anything resembling a full band. Guests Mike Feuerstack (lapsteel), Mike Dubue and John Tielli (vocals) dropped by to help the process along.

Six months later, the record was finally finished. In the fall, of 2004 Jeremy was asked to join the Arcade Fire, just as their soon-to-be massive “Funeral” was released. Samir called up Jon to pull the plug on the band, but Jon persuaded him to continue.
Mike Feuerstack (guitar and lapstee) and Mike Dubue (percussion and keyboards) formally joined the group, and longtime Ottawa musician Jordy Walker (drums) followed. New songs are being written. And so it goes.