Sleigh Bells

Based in Brooklyn, NY, Sleigh Bells is the musical collaboration of Derek E. Miller (songwriter, guitarist, producer) and Alexis Krauss (vocalist, lyricist). The two met and formed in 2008, when Miller was waiting tables on Alexis and her mother at a neighborhood Brazilian restaurant. When Miller mentioned that he was looking for a female vocalist for a new musical project, Krauss’s mother immediately volunteered her daughter. Sleigh Bells’ unique sound is likely the result of Miller and Krauss’s contrasting musical backgrounds; Miller was formerly the guitarist for the post-hardcore band Poison the Well and Krauss was a member of the teen pop group RubyBlue as a teenager. After steadily gaining popularity throughout 2009, Sleigh Bells signed to M.I.A.'s label N.E.E.T. in Spring 2010. On May 11th 2010 Sleigh Bells released their debut full-length album entitled Treats. The album’s immediate popularity and the band’s reputation as an energetic live act have helped solidify the duo’s widespread popularity. Amidst blown-out drum beats, fuzzed guitars and synth-pop sensibilities, Krauss balances each song with a voice that is both forceful and elegant. After playing Pitchfork’s summer music festival, Sleigh Bells set out on their North American tour in July 2010.