Built to Spill was formed in 1993 by Doug Martsch and over the years they have toured extensively and made several albums with a rotating cast of musicians, currently featuring Teresa Esguerra (Prism Bitch) on drums, and Melanie Radford (Blood Lemon) on bass.

PLAYDEAD was born in the high desert tree lined valley of Boise Idaho. This powerhouse guitar driven hard rock band blends elements of alternative, classic, and punk rock music. PLAYDEAD was formed in May of 2024. Despite their short existence, PLAYDEAD has gained traction with show-goers in and out of Boise. PLAYDEAD out of the gate had the opportunity to accompany Boise’s legendary Built To Spill for the first three shows of their 2024 “There’s Nothing Wrong with Love” tour and recently with a five show tour through the mid west including Columbia MO, Omaha NE, Fort Collins CO, Salt Lake City UT, and home in Boise, ID. With this exposure as well as several local appearances, PLAYDEAD has developed a local following and honed their energetic stage presence. PLAYDEAD was started by guitar/vocalist Scott Schmaljohn and drummer Andy “rabbit foot” Viken. Scott Schmaljohn is a Boise native well known for helping to shape the Boise and Seattle music scene in several bands including: proto-alternative standouts Treepeople; State of Confusion; and The Hand. Drummer Andy Viken, another Boise native, has graced the stages of many Boise clubs playing in several local projects including The Hand, Catering to Venus, and The Tommy Dirtweed band. Bass player, J.C. Berrey, is a Seattle transplant, who joined PLAYDEAD after seeing their 2nd show.