Zumpano

Although they only lasted for two albums, Vancouver, British Columbia-based indie power-poppers Zumpano were a fresh and unpretentious act whose mixture of '60s soft pop influences and hard-candy guitar rock made them a pivotal part of the Sub Pop label's image change from early '90s grunge central to a poppier and more eclectic imprint.



Zumpano formed in 1992 when drummer Jason Zumpano and guitarist and keyboardist Michael Ledwidge broke up their band Glee on the verge of signing a large major-label deal, claiming that the band was "artistically impure." Zumpano and Ledwidge recruited singer and guitarist Carl Newman and bassist Stefan Niemann from the ranks of local cover bands. With inspirations drawn primarily from '60s soft pop icons like Brian Wilson, the Zombies, and the 5th Dimension, the group was in deliberate contrast to the then-prevailing grunge culture, although like their fellow Canadians Sloan, they weren't averse to adding a bit of crunchy guitar to their sweet-natured pop songs. After a short stint under the name the Wayward Boys, the group decided on a whim to change their name to honor their drummer, for not much more reason than the fact that it's a cool name.

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