"Built To Spill Is Still On The Road In 2026, No New Album Required"
(Artist Report)
Written by: Cody Denning
Built To Spill is currently in the middle of one of its busiest stretches in years, crisscrossing the U.S. through spring, summer, and fall 2026 — stops have included Treefort Music Fest in their hometown of Boise, a run through Atlanta, St. Louis, Minneapolis, and San Francisco, and an October stand at Brooklyn's Music Hall of Williamsburg. Doug Martsch is still out front on guitar and vocals, backed by Brett Netson and Jim Roth on guitar, Jason Albertini on bass, and Steve Gere on drums.
The band started in Boise, Idaho in 1992, when Martsch left Seattle's Treepeople and went home to put together his own project. Bandmates have rotated through constantly since — Martsch is the only person who's been there for all of it, a Mark E. Smith/John Lydon-style approach where he's said the turnover keeps the music from going stale.
Their first two records, Ultimate Alternative Wavers (1993) and There's Nothing Wrong With Love (1994), built them a following in the Pacific Northwest before Warner Bros. signed them off the strength of the 1995 Lollapalooza tour — reportedly on the condition that Martsch keep full creative control.
1999's Keep It Like a Secret is still the one critics point to. After the sprawling song suites of Perfect from Now On, Martsch deliberately wrote tighter, three-minute tracks — "Carry the Zero," "Center of the Universe," "Else." Pitchfork later named it the best album of 1999.
Live, the band has always leaned into the jam — their 2000 live album included a nearly 30-minute cover of Neil Young's "Cortez the Killer," and Martsch's guitar playing is still the reason people show up.
Their last studio album, When the Wind Forgets Your Name, came out in 2022. Four years later, they're still out on the road. No announcements for anything new yet, we will let you know when we know.
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Written By: Cody Denning
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