Biographyby Daniel ClancyToward the end of 2009, in a bedroom in Stockton, CA -- previously known only in the music world for producing Stephen Malkmus' Pavement -- a 21-year-old Justin Paul Vallesteros began experimenting with simple synth and guitar lines, gradually layering them to create the sound that would become Craft Spells. Joined by guitarist Frankie Soto, the Seattle-born Vallesteros recorded "Party Talk," a smoky dream pop track that would first introduce the band to the blogosphere -- an important tool for any up-and-coming artist from a small town at the time. This combination of lo-fi music and D.I.Y. music press created a buzz for the EP Beauty Above All, which eventually led to Brooklyn-based label Captured Tracks signing the band. Home to the likes of Beach Fossils and Wild Nothing, Captured Tracks started off by releasing two tracks from Craft Spells' debut EP as a single in the fall of 2010. The "Party Talk"/"Ramona" 7" was as cool and laid-back as it was bursting with rhythms that cried out for dancing and the warmth of summer. Anna Luxx Ryon (synths), Jack Doyle Smith (bass), and Peter Michel (drums) then joined the lineup, which soon released "After the Moment" on 7". The direct 1980s groove of the track would not have seemed out of place on Madonna's Immaculate Collection, although Vallesteros' almost deadpan Ian Curtis-influenced delivery grounded things in what was becoming a typically Craft Spells style. Having announced they were working on debut full-length Idol Labor in early 2011 and played some well-received shows in and around the area, Craft Spells upped sticks and moved to Seattle -- hometown of the band's rhythm section and, of course, Vallesteros' birthplace. The move signaled their intent to bring their own brand of shimmering indie pop to a city where they weren't at all out of the ordinary, while the downside to the move was losing Frankie Soto, who remained in Stockton. Meanwhile, Fonso Robles replaced Ryon and Craft Spells revealed plans to play European dates for the first time.