Indie Rock band of the ever-popular record company Saddle-Creek, Criteria emerges as a band with a singer who seems to have a beautifully breaking voice. Before creating Criteria Stephen Pedersen, lead singer of the band, was the lead guitarist in Cursive. After that band's initial break-up, Pedersen moved to North Carolina and formed The White Octave. They released two albums. Pedersen worked by himself on an album project he called "En Garde", soon he recruited Aaron Druery, Mike Sweeney and AJ Mogis who became the band Criteria and the album was eventually released. Most recently the album "When We Break" has been released, an intriguing album with a touch of inspiration.