Tracker (band)

Tracker is an American indie rock ensemble from Portland, Oregon. The act was founded in 1998 by John Askew,^[1] a freelance audio engineer and writer for Tape Op magazine.^[2]

Askew, a multi-instrumentalist, initially created studio recordings with little (if any) assistance under the name Tracker, but later recruited a revolving lineup of musicians for live performances. Those included Michael Schorr (formerly of Death Cab for Cutie) and Dave Harding (formerly of Richmond Fontaine).^[2] Askew also founded the record label FILMguerrero which supports other independent musicians in Portland.^[3]

The first album under the Tracker name was Ames in 2001,^[4] followed by Polk in 2002.^[5] Askew transformed Tracker into a full-time touring and recording band after the Ames album.^[6] The first two albums were named after fictional towns in Iowa that Askew had never visited.^[7] The album Blankets (2004)^[8] serves as a soundtrack to a graphic novel of the same title by Craig Thompson.^[3][9] That album included guest appearances by Chris Funk (The Decemberists), Willy Vlautin (Richmond Fontaine), and Adam Selzer (Norfolk & Western).^[10]

• Ames (2001)
• Polk (2002)
• Blankets (2004)

• Official site
• Band profile at FILMguerrero
• Tracker at AllMusic