Hey Marseilles, Silver Torches

It’s a mid-January morning and Matt Bishop is hanging around Seattle, where he lives. “It’s rainy and it’s gray,” he says over the phone, “and I feel wonderful.” Bishop, originally from nearby Snohomish, also has reason for optimism about his band Hey Marseilles, a veteran presence in the Northwest music scene known for its brainy, baroque take on indie folk-pop. The group has been making music together for nearly a decade, but with a new creative direction and new ambition fueling the release of a new self-titled album on Feb. 5 (produced by L.A.-based Anthony Kilhoffer, who typically works with superstars like Kanye West), this year is shaping up to be a rebirth of sorts for Hey Marseilles. Expect to hear quite a few of the new tunes at the band’s upcoming Spokane show.