Seattle indie rock quartet Lillydale bear a certain resemblance to the anthemic but folky indie rock of the Arcade Fire, on a much smaller scale but with a similar sense of positivity in the face of struggle. Lillydale formed in Seattle in May 2004, comprised of lead singer, songwriter, and guitarist Josie O. Markevich (who usually forsakes his surname), lead guitarist Jason Williams, bassist Holly Deye, and drummer David Lopez. The new band released a demo EP, Erstwhile Confessions of a Butterfly Heart, in early 2005; local alternative radio station KEXP added the EP's "Lighting Lanterns" to their rotation, boosting the band's regional profile and eventually getting them signed to the local indie Mt. Fuji Records (Little Brazil, etc.). Their debut full-length, The Art of Becoming One's Own Shadow, was produced by Seattle indie pop legend Johnny Sangster and released in the spring of 2007. ~ Stewart Mason