Beach House
American dream pop band formed in Baltimore in 2004.
Beach House is an American dream pop group that formed in Baltimore in 2004. Its core members are Victoria Legrand (vocals, keyboards) and Alex Scally (guitar, keyboard, backing vocals, drum programming), who met in Baltimore's indie music scene. Drummer, percussionist, and bassist James Barone, who had been a prominent touring musician with the band since 2016, became an official member in 2022. Critics and journalists have credited the band with revitalizing dream pop for a new generation.
Legrand and Scally were both in a dysfunctional band called Daggerhearts, which broke up in 2005. After that, they decided to write music together and form their own band. They first gained international notice in 2006 when Pitchfork featured their song "Apple Orchard" on its Infinite Mixtape series. Their self-titled debut album came out on Carpark Records in October 2006. Their second album, *Devotion*, was released in February 2008; their third album, *Teen Dream*, released in January 2010, became their first to chart on the US Billboard 200. It was also their last album on Carpark. In 2009, they signed with Sub Pop, which helped promote *Teen Dream*, released to critical acclaim. That album is widely considered their breakthrough.
Following *Teen Dream*, they released *Bloom* in May 2012, which was also well-received and commercially successful, peaking at number seven on the Billboard 200. In 2015, they put out two albums: *Depression Cherry* in August (peaking at number eight on the Billboard 200) and *Thank Your Lucky Stars*, which was surprise-released two months later. The band shifted its musical style on their seventh album, *7* (2018), after releasing a compilation in 2017. They gained further attention in 2021 when their 2015 promotional single "Space Song" went viral on social media, especially TikTok. In February 2022, they released their eighth studio album, *Once Twice Melody*, which had been rolled out in four chapters starting in November 2021.
**History**
**2004–2007: Formation and self-titled album**
Victoria Legrand moved from Paris, where she was born, to Baltimore in 2004. She was dissatisfied with theater school and followed a friend from Vassar College (where she graduated in 2003) who also lived in Baltimore. Through that friend, Dirck, she met Alex Scally later that year. They first met on the porch of Scally’s family home, where Legrand
- formed
- 2004
- origin
- Baltimore, United States
- field
- Dream pop band
- nationality
- American
- known_for
- Rejuvenating dream pop; albums Teen Dream, Bloom, Depression Cherry; viral song 'Space Song'
Lore & Background
Victoria Legrand moved from Paris to Baltimore in 2004 after being dissatisfied with theater school. Through a mutual friend, she met Alex Scally later that year on the porch of his family home. They began recording music in Legrand's basement and were both members of the band Daggerhearts, which disbanded in 2005 due to dysfunctionality. After the split, they continued writing music together, wanting to form a band. Their first song together was 'Saltwater', and they first performed at Baltimore's Talking Head Club on November 13, 2005, initially under the names Planetarium and Beach House on the Moon, later shortening it to Beach House.
Their self-titled debut album was released on October 3, 2006, through Carpark Records, after their song 'Apple Orchard' was featured on Pitchfork's Infinite Mixtape series in August 2006. Victoria Legrand collaborated with Grizzly Bear on the song 'Slow Life', not on 'Two Weeks'.
Reader's Guide
Beach House's significance lies in their role as a defining act of 21st-century dream pop, credited by journalists and critics with rejuvenating the genre for newer generations. Their breakthrough album Teen Dream (2010) brought them widespread critical acclaim and a larger fan base, including high-profile attendees at their Coachella 2010 set. The band's consistent output—including the commercially successful Bloom (2012) and the dual 2015 releases Depression Cherry and Thank Your Lucky Stars—demonstrated their prolific nature. Their 2015 promotional single 'Space Song' gained renewed attention in 2021 after going viral on TikTok, introducing their music to a new audience. The band's evolution is marked by a shift in musical style on their seventh album 7 (2018) and the ambitious four-chapter release of Once Twice Melody (2021–2022). Their legacy is further cemented by the inclusion of Teen Dream in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.
Did You Know?
- Beach House's first performance was on November 13, 2005, at Baltimore's Talking Head Club, under the names Planetarium and Beach House on the Moon.
- Their debut album was recorded on a 4-track tape over two days with a budget of about $1,000.
- The band's name was shortened from 'Beach House on the Moon', which came from a song they had written called 'House on the Hill'.
- Victoria Legrand provided backing vocals on Grizzly Bear's song 'Two Weeks' and later collaborated on 'Slow Life' for the Twilight: New Moon soundtrack.
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