Office

Office is a Chicago-based pop band that was active in the 2000s. History The band was founded by Scott Masson while attending College of Goldsmiths, in London, UK. Upon returning to America after his student exchange program ended, Masson continued to use Office as a vehicle for his songwriting and art at Kalamazoo College in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Masson maintained the band with various friends and performers as collaborators, preferring to call it a "project" or "hallucination." The latest iteration of the project appeared onstage at SXSW, on MTV, at Lollapalooza, and elsewhere dressed as if going to work in "business attire and black mini dresses." Office developed a cult following in the 2000s, particularly in and around Kalamazoo, Michigan and later in Chicago, Illinois, promoting a sound that has been described by Spin as "handclaps and sunny harmonies." Masson recorded and self-released the debut Office album under his own publishing company, Public Treatments, and began promoting it in Kalamazoo in 2001. At its peak, he said people were coming to his house at 2 a.m. asking for a copy. In 2004, Masson recruited guitarist Tom Smith, bassist Alissa Noonan-Hacker, and drummer Erica Corniel to the band. In 2006, the band was performing shows at South by Southwest music festival, CMJ, Mobfest, Midwest Music Conference, a set at Lollapalooza. In October that year, the group signed with Scratchie Records, an independent label owned by James Iha, former guitarist of the Smashing Pumpkins.