Robert Pollard Biography
Robert Ellsworth Pollard Jnr., 31 October 1957, Dayton, Ohio, USA. This US singer-songwriter and guitarist was the primary guiding force behind the prolific Guided By Voices, a frequently shambolic unit who evolved from cult lo-fi mavericks to genuine indie rock contenders during a lengthy career. Pollard's work with the band, which began recording in 1983, did not preclude involvement in numerous side projects and a busy solo schedule right up until Guided By Voices' eventual demise in 2004. Already the main songwriter with Guided By Voices, he launched a solo career with a series of singles and EPs. His first two solo albums, Not In My Airforce (1996) and Waved Out (1998), were released via the parent band's record label, Matador Records, and shared many of the same melodic alt pop qualities as the Guided By Voice albums of this period. Pollard launched his own Fading Captain Series label in the late 90s to allow his restless creative spirit full rein away from the strictures of a mainstream record label. In addition to a slew of increasingly experimental solo albums, his collaborative ventures during this period included Acid Ranch, Airport 5 (with former Guided By Voices multi-instrumentalist Tobin Sprout), Circus Devils (with GBV alumni Todd Tobias and Tim Tobias), Go Back Snowball (with Ralph "Mac" McCaughan of Superchunk), the Keene Brothers (with Tommy Keene), the Lifeguards (with another former GBV associate, Doug Gillard), and the Takeovers (with Chris Slusarenko). The results favoured quantity over quality, and just as Guided By Voices were gaining a second wind at the start of the 00s with a series of terrific indie rock albums, Pollard's solo work began to appear increasingly fractured. The 2004 album Fiction Man marked the start of a notable working relationship with producer Todd Tobias, with the latter providing instrumental backing to Pollard's basic guitar/vocal tracks. The result was a far more cohesive and listenable collection of typically quirky songs. The partnership continued on the next two "mainstream" Pollard albums, From A Compound Eye and Normal Happiness, which were both released in 2006 via the Merge Records label. In 2007, Pollard launched his new label, Prom Is Coming, with the mini-album Silverfish Trivia.
Source: The Encyclopedia of Popular Music by Colin Larkin. Licensed from Muze.
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