this side of north

Most of the songs on the album were co-written by the three band members, with a few exceptions. Bernoski takes the lead on vocals throughout, though Agamanolis and Williamson also step into lead roles on select tracks. The group co-produced most of the album with Lee Mars (Nine Inch Nails) and recorded across studios in Los Angeles and New York, with engineering by DJ Orion Keyser. The album features performances by several top-tier musicians, including live drums by Chris Vrenna (Nine Inch Nails), bass by Tony Green, Evan Conway, and Warren Kaye, acoustic guitar by Woody Aplanalp, vibes by Harris Eisenstadt, cello by Jessica Catron, and bassoon by Sara Schoenbeck.

Before forming This Side of North, the trio worked together under the name Siren Music Productions, composing for film and television. Their collaborations included the score for Dahmer (2002), directed by David Jacobson and starring Jeremy Renner — a film that earned multiple nominations, including the Independent Spirit Awards’ John Cassavetes Award. They also composed the score for Be Good, Smile Pretty (2003), an Emmy Award-winning documentary directed by Tracy Droz Tragos.

The trio also wrote and performed “Blue Theme” for Dahmer — a track co-sung by Agamanolis and Bernoski, featuring guitar and bass by Agamanolis and organ by Williamson. Though often miscredited to This Side of North, the piece predates the band’s formation and stands stylistically apart from their later work. It was never officially released but continues to circulate online, quietly gaining a dedicated following.