The Temper Trap

by Andrew Leahey
The Temper Trap's mix of choirboy vocals and ringing, U2-influenced guitars earned them significant buzz in Melbourne, Australia, where the band first rose to local prominence after playing the St. Jerome's Laneway Festival in March 2006. The Temper Trap released its debut EP that same year, and word of the group's potential soon spread to other continents. Veteran British producer Jim Abbiss (who previously helmed the Arctic Monkeys' meteoric debut) saw similar promise in the Temper Trap's panoramic sound. Flying to Australia, he gathered the musicians into Melbourne's Sing Sing Studios and helped ready their debut album for a 2009 release.