Knife in the Water emerged from the thriving Austin scene in 1997, showcasing a sound influenced equally by indie, ambient pop, and skewed Americana. Led by the vocals and guitar of Aaron Blount, the band also included vocalist/keyboardist Laura Krause, pedal steel player Bill McCullough, bassist Mark Nathan, and drummer Cisco Ryder. The self-released Plays One Sound and Others appeared in 1998; it enjoyed a strong local response and was a critical favorite. The band headed out on tour, making it all the way to New York City in the process. Red River followed from Overcoat two years later, and garnered even more press with its more focused, yet no less morose sound. Tours with acts like Calexico followed, and the German label Glitterhouse picked up River for wider distribution. Austin indie Peek-A-Boo took up the cause next, offering the full-length Book of Spells in 2000 and the Crosspross Bells EP two years later. Knife in the Water continued to tour and/or play shows with types like Archer Prewitt, and also made their yearly appearances at Austin's South by Southwest. In August 2003, Knife reissued its first two albums, remastered and complete with bonus tracks and new artwork, on Aspyr Media. While the label was primarily known as a video game imprint, the band was one of its first music-only signings. Aspyr also released the Cut the Cord LP, which Glitterhouse had issued for Europe only the previous May. ~ Johnny Loftus