Built to Spill is the American indie rock band Doug Martsch formed in Boise, Idaho in 1992, running Neil Young-influenced guitar heroics through rotating lineups for more than three decades. Perfect from Now On and Keep It Like a Secret are back-to-back classics — start with either. Explore Built to Spill vinyl, CDs, and reissues at Wax Trax Records.
Built to Spill formed in Boise, Idaho in 1992 around Doug Martsch. Martsch had previously played in the band Treepeople and had a clear vision of an extended ensemble that would rotate musicians around his songwriting. The band's catalog appeared on indie labels C/Z, Up, then Warner Bros. (with whom they signed in 1995 under an unusual contract granting them full creative control), and later Sub Pop. The band has continued recording and touring across more than three decades.
Built to Spill's sound combines indie rock with classic rock, Neil Young-influenced extended guitar work, jam rock dynamics, and Martsch's distinctive higher-register vocals. Their arrangements typically feature triple-guitar interplay and extended instrumental sections.
Original Up and Warner Bros. pressings of the Built to Spill catalog are widely collected, with anniversary editions of Perfect from Now On and Keep It Like a Secret.
Listeners new to Built to Spill typically start with Keep It Like a Secret (1999) or Perfect from Now On (1997).
