While serving as the music director for San Diego State University’s radio station, KCR, I was always on the lookout for new music. While walking to a philosophy course I entered a stairwell to find Editors bumper stickers placed on every stair of the six floor building. Something about the brazen marketing rang true to me and I looked up The Back Room which was being advertised. Little did I realize how consumed I would become by the prowess of the band with Tom Smith rapidly rising to rival David Sylvian as my favorite male vocalist. I placed the band in rotation at my station and have since done all I can to promote one of the greatest bands of our time. As the band evolved my love for them grew. Smith & Burrows is a staple of Christmas in my household and we all leap on any new work produced by this group and their side projects. Thank you for elevating the independent rock scene to such great heights.