Plush Vinyl Records
Vocalist, pianist, and guitarist Liam Hayes (known for his work with Will Oldham's Palace) has been songwriting for his group, Plush, since the dawn of the '90s, but didn't record with the band until 1994 when the single "Three Quarters Blind Eyes"/"Found a Little Baby" came out on Chicago's Drag City label. This first effort for the seldom-gigging band garnered some surprisingly big attention from the music press; notably, the B-side was named Single of the Week by one British magazine and received critical praise from several others. It was another three years, however, before the band created a follow-up. 1997's "No Education" came out on Flydaddy, and it was a much shorter wait between releases this time, with their full-length debut coming out the following year. 1998's More You Becomes You actually finds Hayes at the piano singing sparse, vulnerable, and romantic songs along the heartfelt lines of Carole King and Burt Bacharach ballads.