After the breakup of emo-influenced indie rockers Northstar in the summer of 2005, principle songwriters Tyler Odom and Nick Torres headed back to their home state of Alabama and starting writing songs for their new project, Cassino. Setting aside the harder edges of Northstar's sound, Cassino's music takes a more pastoral approach, with Odom citing the adventurous folk rock of Neil Young, Will Oldham, and Joanna Newsom as key influences, while allowing the personal and spiritual messages of their songs to take greater prominence. After a year and a half of working on material and occasional low-key gigs, Cassino released their first album, Sound of Salvation, in the spring 2007; Odom and Torres opted to release the album themselves independent of the influences of a major record label. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi