| DEPARTMENT OF EAGLES began in 2000, when New York University assigned freshmen Fred Nicolaus and Daniel Rossen to share a room. To pass the time during an uneventful spring semester, the two began making music together, collecting samples and turning them into songs using pirated software and a microphone borrowed from their neighbor Chris Taylor (who, years later, would become Daniel's bandmate in Grizzly Bear and DoE's producer/engineer). In 2004 Daniel joined the group Grizzly Bear as a singer, guitarist and songwriter. He began touring with the band, and brought a number of songs to their critically acclaimed sophomore album Yellow House and follow-up EP Friend. Over the years, stealing time on weekends and between tours, they slowly accumulated bits and pieces, and by late 2007 an album had begun taking shape. |