Astaire

Brazilian-bred/American-born siblings Erica and Bruce Driscoll compose the sultry indie pop of Astaire. Erica, who is three years older than Bruce, received a healthy dose of traditional Brazilian music while growing up in Grand Rapids, Michigan. When they weren't soaking up the sounds of Astrud Gilberto and the like, Astaire was writing and recording their own Brit-pop-influenced material. In 2002, the brother-sister duo christened itself Astaire, and by the end of the year, they were runners-up in the pop category in the annual U.K. Songwriting Contest. A move to New York City two years later cemented the two in a studio with Ivy's Andy Chase and Adam Schlesinger for their first EP. Don't Whisper Lies appeared in October 2004. After summer 2005 dates with Ivy, Astaire was forced to change their name per the request of the Fred Astaire estate. The Driscoll siblings christened themselves Blondfire in June 2005. A month later, the duo issued a live EP that performed well on the charts.