The Raymond Brake

The Raymond Brake was an indie rock band. They formed in the mid-1990s in Greensboro, North Carolina, USA. Greensboro being only 45 minutes drive away from Chapel Hill, the city's music scene was an influence and a guiding light. Members of the band included Andy Cabic - guitar/vocals, Ryan Stewart - guitar/vocals, Peder Hollinghurst - bass (1993–1996), Matt Houston - bass (1996–1998), and Joel Darden - drums.

Their first releases were two 7" records, both released in 1994. A debut full-length CD, Piles of Dirty Winters was released on Arlington, Virginia indie label Simple Machines in 1995 followed by a split 7". Reviews of The Raymond Brake's releases often noted that the band's sound blended strange tunings and timings with hooks and melody, observations which in turn led to comparisons to similarly hard to define bands such as Polvo and Grifters. The band achieved a certain amount of success by embarking on a tour of the U.S. in 1996 with Karate, Archers of Loaf, and Liquorice. However, the same year saw The Raymond Brake's final release: the well crafted (and sadly out of print) Never Work Ever CD EP on Hepcat Records. By 1998 the band had played their last show. Singer/guitarist Andy Cabic took the band's implosion as a cue to change his surroundings, moved to San Francisco, and fell in with Devendra Banhart and Joanna Newsom's ragtag band of indie folksters. He is currently the driving force behind Vetiver.