The word “indie” is often synonymous with Seattle, and for good reason. Although the early ’90s saw Seattle lead the way in the grunge movement, independent artists over the years have spearheaded many other movements. Among them are the faith-oriented (but not exclusively) Tooth and Nail Records, and later indie rock giants like Car Seat Headrest, Modest Mouse, and Band of Horses.

Vying for the latest position in the hierarchy of Pacific Northwest indie rock is the duo Poached.

To properly introduce you to Poached, you need some backstory. In the early days of being a music blogger, I hopped on a plane from Columbus, OH, to Nashville, TN, to see what I thought would be my last chance to see Copeland live. While in line for the show, I met a kind person named Mitchell Taylor. We quickly noted overlaps in our social circles and agreed to stay in touch. I would go on to book his post-emo band, Mountains Like Wax, in Columbus several times. He told me to check out Julien Baker before she was Julien Baker.

Then, 2020 happened. Around that time, Taylor relocated to the Seattle area. He continued to pursue Mountains Like Wax but used the past few years to build upon his Nashville foundation in his second love: the hospitality industry, where he worked as a mixologist.

Fast forward to last year. I began to hear rumblings of a new project. Gradually, a mysterious new page called “Poached” began to show up in my feed. “Huh,” I thought to myself, making a mental bookmark for the future.

Now, Poached is ready to make its mark as a serious music project. They are a duo consisting of Mitchell Taylor and Lilli Burgy, who initially connected in the hospitality industry. Isn’t it odd how life comes full circle sometimes?

The band only has three singles out so far, but they have managed to do something nearly impossible: carve out yet another distinctive niche within the indie paradigm, which is as saturated as ever. What is Poached? Are they dream pop? Are they indie pop? Are they emo? Are they groovy? Well… yes. The vocals have the cadence of Florence Welch, with the reverb and atmosphere of Beach House. The instrumentation seems to be equal parts Future Islands and Flipturn. All in all, Poached succeeds at toeing the line between groovy celebration and melancholy contemplation; they are a compelling contradiction.

Follow Poached on Instagram and keep an eye out for much more music to come. Stream their singles below: