Racoon

by Jason Ankeny
Acoustic rock quartet Racoon scored one of the biggest hits in Dutch chart history with their 2005 ballad "Love You More." Formed in Zeeland, Holland, in 1997, Racoon began as the duo of singer Bart van der Weide and guitarist Dennis Huige, making their recorded debut via three songs contributed to the Dutch Rock & Pop Institute compilation Characters. With a 1998 relocation to Utrecht, bassist Stefan de Kroon and drummer Paul Bukkens joined the lineup, and the group played the Heineken X-pl'oor Festival prior to self-releasing a demo titled It's an Ice Cream Day. The disc piqued the interest of a number of Dutch labels, and after an appearance at the 1999 Noorderslag Weekend, Racoon signed with Sony's S.M.A.R.T. imprint, issuing their debut album, Till Monkeys Fly, the following year. The single "Feel Like Flying" proved a radio favorite, building anticipation for the band's follow-up, Here We Go, Stereo, issued in late 2001 and buoyed by the hit "Eric's Bar." Racoon then hit the international tour circuit for more than a year, culminating in 2003's all-star Europe Day Festival in Kiev. Their third album, Another Day, finally hit retail in 2005 and launched the band to superstardom, generating a string of hits including the breakthrough smash "Love You More," "Laugh About It," and "Brother" on its way to topping the Dutch charts.