Formed in 1991 in Chapel Hill, NC, the Archers of Loaf is comprised of singer/guitarist Eric Bachmann, guitarist Eric Johnson, bassist Matt Gentling, and drummer Mark Price. Founded with a penchant for noisy musical exploration and a mutual love of the band ABBA, the band quickly became known for electrifying live performances, quirky guitar work, and a DIY aesthetic that would become the gold standard for bands that followed in their footsteps.
"Icky Mettle" was the first of four studio albums for the band in the 90s that seemed to personify what SPIN magazine deemed “a tremendously optimistic time in underground music, that 15-minute period in the early 1990s when it looked like indie rock really might take over the world.” The Archers toured extensively, attracting a loyal following of fans around the world. Soon after the release of 1998’s "White Trash Heroes," the band members shifted their focus away from the band and into other endeavors, such as additional musical projects and graduate school.
After a 13-year hiatus, the band performed a secret show in January 2011 at Cat’s Cradle in Carrboro, NC, with The Love Language. Feeling energized, the reinvigorated Archers booked a subsequent tour in mostly smaller venues to replicate the raw live experience for which the band had always been highly regarded and has continued to tour periodically since.
The singles “Raleigh Days” and “Talking Over Talk” were released in 2020, serving as the band’s first new recordings since 1998. A subsequent tour was cut short due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
With the release of their first album in nearly 25 years, "Reason in Decline" brings the band back into the spotlight, offering new music to accompany the band’s decades-long partnership. "Reason in Decline" had its inception during the dark days of 2020 and serves as a bright moment of respite to the band’s loyal fans right now in 2022.