Maria Usbeck (
Selebrities) and Drew Diver (Horse Shoes), both big fans of Swedish indie pop group
the Embassy, met by chance at one of that band's Brooklyn, New York gigs. (As a matter of fact, Diver was sitting in as the group's bassist for that particular show.) The two musicians formed a friendship that soon spawned the dreamy, girl group-inspired duo
Soda Shop. Combining sugar-sweet pop hooks, moody reverb, and Usbeck's melancholic lead vocals,
Soda Shop's sound easily fit in with a number of other
Phil Spector-influenced indie pop groups, notably
Saturday Looks Good to Me, Gigi, and
Cat Eyes.
Soda Shop were snapped up by Shelflife Records in 2010, and their debut 7" vinyl single on that label,
Farewell, was released in January 2011. There was a palpable buzz among indie pop bloggers following the band's debut live performance at that year's New York Popfest, where they shared the stage with like-minded groups
Betty and the Werewolves and
Go Sailor. ~ TiVo Staff