Singer, songwriter, and ubiquitous collaborator Kyle Forester established himself as a New York indie pop mainstay playing throughout the 2000s in bands like Crystal Stilts, People, and the Ladybug Transistor. In addition to his session and touring work, he later launched a solo career of his own with an eponymous 2016 album of thoughtful, slightly experimental guitar pop.

A versatile and trusted sideman, he also spent plenty of time in the studio, guesting on numerous albums and tours by myriad prominent indie acts. In addition to running a live-band karaoke series called Kyle's Korner, he has also composed music for various films including 2009's Breaking Upwards. In 2012, he released a collaboration with New York writer and food critic Joshua David Stein called Forester Sings Stein, though it would be another four years before he delivered his first proper solo record. Released in 2016 by Flying Moonlight Records, Forester's self-titled debut was a mix of classic guitar pop peppered with warm synths and subtle experimentation. Over the next few years, he split time between his own work and touring as a member of Brooklyn group Woods. He also joined Woods in the studio acting as the backing band for David Berman's Purple Mountains album, which would end up being Berman's last release before his death. Forester assembled a more permanent band of his own who backed him on his second solo album, Hearts in Gardens, in early 2020. ~ Timothy Monger, Rovi