Azure Ray is an American dream pop duo, consisting of musicians Orenda Fink and Maria Taylor. Formed in Athens, Georgia in 2001, they later moved to Omaha, Nebraska and became part of the Saddle Creek Records music scene, which also included Bright Eyes, The Faint, and Cursive. Azure Ray's music has often been featured in film and television, including Six Feet Under, Grey's Anatomy, and The Devil Wears Prada. Biography Formation The pair met at the age of 15 while attending the Alabama School of Fine Arts in Birmingham. They fronted a band called Little Red Rocket, which released two CDs, Who Did You Pay (1997, Tim/Kerr) and It's in the Sound (2000, Monolyth Record Group), which earned them frequent comparisons to Veruca Salt. After the band broke up, Fink and Taylor moved to Athens, Georgia, and eventually formed Azure Ray. "My boyfriend had just died and we had written all of these songs that were helping us cope with everything. We had a night where all of our friends and family got together. We played those songs, which later would turn into the songs on our first Azure Ray record..." said Taylor. Azure Ray (2001) The pair signed to the Warm Electronic Recordings label and released their self-titled debut in 2001, produced by Eric Bachmann (Crooked Fingers and Archers of Loaf). Pitchfork praised the album, giving it a 7 out of 10, describing it as a collection of "maudlin but beautiful, expertly crafted pop songs". The song "Sleep" was later featured in the 2006 Academy Award-nominated movie The Devil Wears Prada featuring Anne Hathaway. In February 2015, Taylor Swift included "Sleep" on a six-song "breakup playlist" made for a fan via her official Tumblr. DJ Paul Kalkbrenner also sampled "Rise" in his 2008 song "Azure". Burn and Shiver and November EP (2002) Azure Ray's second album, Burn and Shiver, was released in 2002, again produced by Bachmann. With Burn and Shiver, Pitchfork said the duo had "come closer than ever to wielding an emotional potency like master Cohen's". After meeting Fink and Taylor in Athens, Bright Eyes frontman Conor Oberst invited the band on tour and introduced them to the people at Saddle Creek, the label to which he was signed. They relocated to Omaha, Nebraska and joined the music scene there. The November EP was released on January 21, 2002, and was the band's first for Saddle Creek.