Cotton Jones Basket Ride materialized in 2007 as a vehicle for Maryland-based singer/songwriter Michael Nau after his popular indie rock outfit Page France decided to take a break. Mining the same mildly psychedelic indie pop territory as his previous project but with a decidedly more folky, experimental bent, Nau and bandmate Whitney McGraw released three EPs under the moniker, including a limited, self-titled installment that quickly sold out, followed by two "art book" EPs, The Archery and The Ranger. After dropping "Basket Ride" from the name, Cotton Jones released the full-length Paranoid Cocoon in early 2009. Tall Hours in the Glowstream arrived a year later, and the EP Sit Beside Your Vegetables followed in 2011 before Nau released a solo album. ~ James Christopher Monger