Hibou

The idea of "home" plays a prominent theme in the short history of Peter Michel and his Seattle-based band Hibou. "I actually recorded half of the new album at my parents’ home," says the 21-year-old about Hibou's debut full-length release for Barsuk Records. "There are moments on the record where you hear my dad cooking or hammering." From an early age, Peter was inspired to take classical piano lessons by his parents and older brother. From there, he expanded to drum and guitar lessons, eventually leading him to develop a strong grasp of songwriting and composition. He joined San Francisco band Craft Spells while still in high school and ended up spending the better part of a year touring throughout the U.S. and Europe, playing shows at night while finishing his studies during the day. After leaving Craft Spells, Michel returned to Seattle and began to experiment with soundscapes and varying musical genres, all of which eventually led to the release of his first recordings as Hibou. (Hibou is the French word for owl – pronounced ee-boo – a reference to a baby owl that once sat next to him on a log listening to him play songs outside). Written, recorded and played at home in Seattle, the self-titled debut LP features 11 songs (including four new versions of songs from an earlier EP) and is a lush, driving mix of '80s inspired pop, fueled by twisting reverbed-out guitar melodies, elegant arrangements, and summertime nostalgia.

Photo Credit: Jesse Macias