Their mostly laid-back sound often conjures ghosts of the past with their choice of instruments -- the playful recurring sliding synth riff in "I Don't Think," the country-style steel guitar in "Dizzy," the retro rockabilly guitar of "Will It Hurts." But they can also catch you off guard with a slyly catchy tune or vamp; "Half an Hour" is a particularly strong example. Lead singer, writer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Brad Rosenberg, lead guitarist, writer, and multi-instrumentalist Daniel Driskell, and drummer Bobby Rangel form the core of the band, with Jayson Bautista on bass and Dustin Hogue on keyboards and percussion rounding out the lineup. Exactly where 1888 got their attention-grabbing name is not too clear; Rangel claims that the name came "from a collective conscious decision among friends to associate the number or figure '1888' with a specific time or moment...a sort of coincidence of association." Be that as it may, the figure 1888 creates opportunities for intriguing graphic designs on their albums (Rangel went to art school in New York and does the artwork for the band's projects).
1888 came together gradually from the ashes of several previous Hampton Roads scene bands. Born in Del Rio, TX, Rangel eventually settled in Virginia Beach around 1991, playing drums in bands like Elefunt Green, Happenstance, Homeless, 22 SPOKE, Words a Game, Owltian Mia, and Hundreds and Thousands. Rosenberg, a Norfolk native who started drumming at age nine and quickly picked up several other instruments, replaced Rangel on drums in Words a Game, and played in the Candyland Carcrash with Bautista and Rangel's brother Adam. Following an out-of-town tour with the Carcrash, Rosenberg conceived and built Clay Garden Studio (2000), which would become the headquarters for a coterie of Virginia musicians. After a period of scuffling in which Rangel delivered pizzas and bussed tables to pay the bills, he and Rosenberg started coming up with ideas for a new band, which went through the names Jacks and Panda before finally arriving at the title 1888. The group released its debut album, Honey, I'd Kill..., on its own Clay Garden label in June 2007, nationally distributed by Darla Records. 1888 also provided the score for a film short, The Troubadour. ~ Richard S. Ginell