The formation of Into Arcadia is an unlikely one. The story begins with singer Otto Ohlsson leaving his native England with a guitar and a suitcase to America's west coast in search of new musical horizons. From San Fransico to Los Angeles, circumstances eventually led him to the blue collar, midwestern city of Milwaukee. There he partnered with guitarist Kenny Buesing, bassist Wes Falk, and drummer Zak Weiland. Working at a feverish pace, the quartet soon released the debut E.P. "Maps For Children" in spring 2008.
Channeling their disparate musical backgrounds into something cohesive, Into Arcadia has constructed an engaging sound as fragile as it is intense. Eerie guitars spar over ethereal synths and propulsive rhythms, while lyrical narratives hover above the fray riding on waves of joy and despair. Though something of an anomaly in Milwaukee's gritty rock n roll scene, Into Arcadia has been embraced by their hometown and make a fine addition to its burgeoning musical landscape.
Heavily informed by personal experiences in each members lives, Maps For Children delves into tales of loss and redemption. If the album is contemplative, its live translation is cathartic. Into Arcadia live is a high energy affair where nothing is held back. The band is currently writing songs for its debut full-length, which promises to find a band at the next stage of their evolution, yet ever eclectic, and still holding up the reflecting glass to this condition of flesh and bones called life.
