The Portland, OR, folk duo Horse Feathers consists of singer/songwriter Justin Ringle (acoustic guitar, vocals, percussion) and multi-instrumentalist Peter Broderick (violin, banjo, mandolin, cello, viola, piano, saw, percussion, vocals). Ringle grew up in Idaho and played in several short-lived indie rock bands during his teenage years, but moved to Portland in 2004, where he met Broderick, who was already a member of the more established Portland band Norfolk & Western. They spent much of 2005 writing songs and honing their live performances at various Portland open mic nights. Influenced by both the stark folk music of Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska and the post-classical work of Scandinavian composer Max Richter, the duo entered the studio in February 2006 to record their debut album, Words Are Dead, 11 chamber-folk tracks featuring Ringle's high, reedy vocals and enigmatic lyrics and Broderick's baroque filigree. Words Are Dead was released on Lucky Madison Records in September 2006.