An eccentric and undeniably catchy indie pop project from New York, Oberhofer rose from lo-fi bedroom origins in the late 2000s to working with legendary producer Steve Lillywhite on his 2012 label debut, Time Capsules II. Over the next few years, he toured extensively, notching appearances at Coachella and turning out additional quirky pop offerings like 2015's Chronovision and an album of wide-ranging cover songs. Oberhofer's first outing of the next decade was 2021's anxious and melodic Smothered.

Based around musician Brad Oberhofer, the project began in 2008 when he relocated from his native Tacoma, Washington to New York to study music composition at New York University. He made his recorded debut in 2010 with the self-released single o0o0o0o0o, showing his penchant for lo-fi bedroom synth pop, and raised his profile touring with bands like Sleigh Bells, Neon Indian, Twin Sister, and Bear in Heaven. By the following fall, Oberhofer connected with legendary producer Steve Lillywhite (U2, Rolling Stones, Talking Heads) in Brooklyn to record the full-length debut Time Capsules II, elevating his sound with more orchestral elements and fuller arrangements. The album arrived on the Glassnote label in late March 2012 as Oberhofer toured extensively, including performances at the Coachella Music Festival.

Recorded across the U.S. in cities including Tacoma, New York, and Los Angeles, mixed by Ben H. Allen (Animal Collective, Reptar), and narrowed down from over 100 demos, his vibrant second album, Chronovision, was released in autumn 2015. For his next project, Oberhofer turned to other artists' material, releasing the quirky covers album Table 19: Oberhofer's Ultimate Wedding Mixtape in 2017. Over the next three years, he issued a smattering of stand-alone singles including 2018's "Dreamed I Was Gonna Be Your Man" and 2020's "Following the Clock to Sleep" before announcing a new record deal with Nashville indie Telefono Records. Smothered, Oberhofer's first proper full-length in six years, was released in November 2021. ~ Chrysta Cherrie, Rovi