Amusement Parks on Fire

Though the English pop-friendly shoegaze band Amusement Parks on Fire is now a well rounded five piece, it initially started in 2004 as the solo project of the group's lead singer/songwriter, Michael Feerick. The band's eponymously titled 2005 debut was recorded entirely by Feerick, but when it came time to tour in support of the album, he realized he needed to recruit instrumentalists to recreate the sonically rich textured songs that had been laid down during his recording sessions. The group's take on the shoegaze genre is peppered with several pop influences - vocals and a humanistic element - that help counteract the mechanic-sounding instrumentals that fill many of the band's songs.