Archers of Loaf

A storied indie-rock act whose clamor was energized by a searing wit, Archers of Loaf were a crucial part of the Chapel Hill music scene in the ’90s. Formed in 1991 by singer/guitarist Eric Bachmann, bassist Matt Gentling, guitarist Eric Johnson, and drummer Mark Price—all of whom hailed from Asheville—Archers of Loaf debuted with “Wrong,” a 7-inch that was given away with the anti-consumerist zine Stay Free! in 1992. Their jagged follow-up single, “Web in Front,” would go on to become one of the band’s signature cuts, with Bachmann’s gasped vocals and its relentless riffs coming together in winning fashion. In the fall of 1993, Archers released their first full-length, Icky Mettle, going on to issue three more albums in the ’90s. Archers broke up in 1998, with Bachmann subsequently releasing music under the name Crooked Fingers. In 2011 the band reunited for a show at the legendary Chapel Hill club The Cat's Cradle, and they followed that with a tour. Archers continued to play occasional shows in the 2010s and 2020s before releasing their first studio album in 24 years, Reason in Decline, in the fall of 2022.