Typhoon (American band)

Typhoon released their debut self-titled record in 2005. After putting out an EP in 2007, Typhoon released their sophomore album, Hunger and Thirst, in 2010. That year, Typhoon was voted number two on Willamette Week's annual list of the top ten best new bands in Portland.[2] Their music later appeared on the SyFy series Being Human, the NBC series Chuck and the big screen adaptation of the television series "Veronica Mars".

On August 4, 2011, Typhoon made their television debut on Late Show with David Letterman, performing "The Honest Truth;"[3] the track was ranked #3 in Paste magazine's list of the 50 best songs of 2011.[4] During this period, Typhoon opened for The Thermals, Quasi, Yann Tiersen, Explosions in the Sky, The Decemberists, Belle and Sebastian, and The Shins, and toured with Lady Lamb the Beekeeper.

Typhoon released White Lighter in 2013 via Roll Call Records. The album, described as entrancing with uplifting melodies and dark lyrics, was recorded just outside the band's hometown in Portland, Oregon.[5] It reached #105 on US Billboard Top 200 and #2 on Heatseekers. White Lighter was voted #28 on NPR's Best Album of the Year[6] and #37 on PASTE Album of the Year.[7] Their song "Young Fathers" was included in NPR's Best Songs of 2013 list[8] and "Prosthetic Love" appeared in the movie Veronica Mars.[9]

The band played the Lollapalooza and Outside Lands music festivals in 2014 and finished the summer with a tour with Portugal. The Man and Grouplove throughout August and September.

Typhoon released Live at Crystal Ballroom in November 2015 as a free download on Bandcamp and Noisetrade. The album includes live performances of songs from White Lighter and the band's older album, Hunger and Thirst. A companion series of videos from the show was posted on YouTube.

On July 7, 2016, the band announced that they had begun recording of their next full-length album.[10] During this period, frontman Kyle Morton released his solo debut What Will Destroy You and toured in January 2017.[11] In September 2017, the band teased 60 seconds of a new song from their upcoming album and announced listening parties for October 2017.[12] On October 25, 2017, the band announced their fourth album Offerings, scheduled to be released on January 12, 2018.[13] The album debuted on NPR's First Listen on January 4, 2018.[1]

On January 21, 2021, Typhoon released Sympathetic Magic, a full-length album completed during the COVID-19 pandemic, along with lead single "Empire Builder." Morton said of the album, "I wrote all these songs while puttering around the house these past several months, because, what else was I going to do? The songs are about people- the space between them and the ordinary, miraculous things that happen there, as we come into contact, imitate each other, leave our marks, lose touch. Being self and other somehow amounting to the same thing."[14]

Typhoon's music is marked by complicated arrangements and careful orchestration. Live performances routinely involve twelve or more band members playing at once. According to Lauren Rosenthal at mySpoonful, "the group masterfully combines indie rock instrumentals and vocals with violins, percussion, hand claps, xylophone, horns and a choir of other instruments, making for inspiring and catchy songs."[15] Their sound emulates and is sometimes compared to Frightened Rabbit, Bright Eyes, Beirut, and Arcade Fire.[16]

The band's instrumentation is centered around a traditional rock configuration of guitars, keyboards, bass guitar, and drums and is complemented by brass, strings, and auxiliary percussion, among other instruments.

Typhoon's early recordings reveal a greater degree of experimentation with various styles, including a number of "sea shanties", country western and Eastern European-inspired songs. Their more recent output, including their album Hunger & Thirst and its companion EP, A New Kind of House, show a more focused and consistent sound, and a greater focus on creating a cohesive thematic through-line. Many of the songs are preoccupied with mortality and directly reference lead singer and primary songwriter Kyle Morton's own struggle with Lyme disease as a child.[17]

• Kyle Morton – lead vocals, piano, guitar (2005–present)
• Toby Tanabe – bass, vocals (2005–present)
• Dave Hall – guitar, vocals (2005–present)
• Tyler Ferrin – horns, guitar, piano, vocals (2005–present)
• Devin Gallagher – percussion, ukulele, vocals (2005–present)
• Eric Stipe – trumpet, vocals (2005–2016, 2020–present)
• Pieter Hilton – drums, vocals (2010–present)
• Alex Fitch – drums, vocals (2010–present)
• Shannon Steele – violin, vocals (2011–present)
• Ben Morton – guitar (2020–present)

• Official website
• Typhoon on Twitter
• Tender Loving Empire, Typhoon's record label
• Typhoon perform live at Sasquatch
• Typhoon perform live at Ecotrust, July 2011 (1 hour)