Preston School of Industry was formed in 1999 in the United States by Scott Kannberg, known professionally as Spiral Stairs, following the dissolution of Pavement; Kannberg served as the band’s founder, lead vocalist, and guitarist. The group first gained attention with a cover of Phish’s “Axilla II” on the charity tribute album Sharin’ in the Groove, and released its debut studio album All This Sounds Gas in 2001, followed that year by the EP Goodbye to the Edge City. In 2003, the band issued the EP Falling Away, and in 2004 released the studio album Monsoon, which featured contributions from members of The Minus 5 and Wilco, along with the EP Caught in the Rain. The group’s activity ceased after a September 2004 tour in Australia. In late 2006, Scott Kannberg indicated work was underway on new material, though the project was never completed; in 2009, he released a solo album under the name Spiral Stairs. Preston School of Industry’s releases were issued through labels including Matador and Domino.
