David Baker is an American musician best known as a founding member and the former lead singer of the indie rock band Mercury Rev,[1] formed in Buffalo, New York in the late 1980s, and after as vocalist for Variety Lights.
After leaving Mercury Rev in 1994, he released the critically acclaimed album World under the alias Shady which featured contributions from members of a variety of leading British and Irish alternative acts, including Rollerskate Skinny, Th' Faith Healers, The Boo Radleys and Swervedriver.
The album featured contributions from artists such as Adam Franklin from Swervedriver, Martin Carr from The Boo Radleys, Jimi Shields from Rollerskate Skinny, Bill Whitten from St. Johnny and Grand Mal, and Sooyoung Park from Seam.
Baker formed the band Variety Lights with electronic musician Will MacLean and released their debut album Central Flow on Fire Records in June 2012.
According to The Guardian, Baker and MacLean "bonded over their love of analogue synths, making music with effected guitars, vintage keyboard, and chained "80s-era Midi expanders".