Kids on a Crime Spree

Inspired by a fateful night of listening to Phil Spector's deep cuts at a friend's house in Stockholm, Sweden, Mario Hernandez (formerly of Ciao Bella and the mastermind behind the like-minded indie pop project From Bubblegum to Sky) teamed up with drummer Becky Barrons (From Bubblegum to Sky, #poundsign#, and Scrabbel), and guitarist Bill Evans (From Bubblegum to Sky) to form Kids on a Crime Spree in the early 2000s. Drawing on the deceptive simplicity of Spector's pop tunes, and adding a hefty helping of distortion and shambling guitar work (Teenage Fanclub, the Pastels, and Black Tambourine are all good touchstones here), it's little wonder the group found themselves on Slumberland Records' roster soon after the lineup solidified. Kids on a Crime Spree's debut album, We Love You So Bad, was slated for release on Slumberland Records in May 2011. The band was scheduled to play host of high-profile gigs in support of the album, including both the New York City and San Francisco editions of Popfest.