Gary Olson

Gary Olson helped shape indie pop, not just as the singer and a founding member of Elephant 6 band the Ladybug Transistor, but as an engineer and producer for dozens of records by newer artists that followed the course he and his band helped set. Olson's songwriting, singing, and trumpet playing all contributed to the chamber pop-inspired sounds of the Ladybug Transistor and he expanded those inspirations into even subtler, more intricate arrangements on his self-titled 2020 solo debut. Olson was born in Brooklyn and founded Ladybug Transistor with Julia Rydholm and several others in 1994. Over the next two decades, Rydholm and Olson would remain at the core of the band as members came and went. In addition to periodically releasing Ladybug Transistor albums, Olson established himself as a studio engineer in Brooklyn, working on albums for Crystal Stilts, Pale Lights, Hamish Kilgour of the Clean, and many, many others. In 2018 he released a solo track, "The Old Twin," as a 7" on a tiny German indie label. Two years later he offered up his first collection of solo material, a self-titled album. Heavy on string arrangements and bright melodies, the album was released in May of 2020.
© Fred Thomas /TiVo