Dance Gavin Dance is an American rock band from Sacramento, California, formed in 2005. It consists of vocalists Jon Mess and Tilian Pearson, lead guitarist Will Swan, rhythm guitarist Andrew Wells, and drummer Matthew Mingus. The band formerly included lead vocalists Jonny Craig and Kurt Travis, bassists Eric Lodge, Jason Ellis, and Tim Feerick, and guitarists Alvaro Alcala, Sean O'Sullivan, Zachary Garren, and Josh Benton. The lineup has changed numerous times since their inception. Swan and Mingus are the only band members who have appeared on every studio album.
Happiness is the third studio album by American rock band Dance Gavin Dance, released on June 9, 2009, on Rise Records. It is the band's second consecutive, and final, studio album to feature Kurt Travis on clean vocals and Zachary Garren on guitar, and is their only studio album to not feature screaming vocalist Jon Mess, who left the group in 2008 before returning in 2010. It is also the band's only studio album to feature bass guitarist Jason Ellis and is their only release to feature screaming vocals from lead guitarist Will Swan. The album serves as a follow-up to the group's sophomore studio album, Dance Gavin Dance (2008) and was produced by Kris Crummett, who recorded the album with the band in Portland, Oregon at Interlace Audio Recording Studio in February 2009. Following its release, the album peaked at No. 145 on the Billboard 200 and No. 30 on the Top Independent Albums chart.
Kurt Travis is an American singer, musician, and songwriter from Sacramento, California. He is currently part of the post-hardcore bands Royal Coda and Push Over and the math rock duo Gold Necklace and was formerly a vocalist in the rock bands Dance Gavin Dance and A Lot Like Birds.
Stolas was an American post-hardcore band from Las Vegas, Nevada formed in 2011. The band consisted of Carlo Marquez, and Sergio Medina. The band was signed as the first band on Blue Swan Records in 2013, a record label launched by Will Swan of Dance Gavin Dance. They have released one EP, Losing Wings (2012) and three studio albums, Living Creatures (2013), Allomaternal (2014), and Stolas (2017). The group signed to Equal Vision Records in 2016.
Acceptance Speech is the fifth studio album by American rock band Dance Gavin Dance, released on October 8, 2013, on Rise Records. The album serves as a follow-up to the band's fourth studio album, Downtown Battle Mountain II (2011), and is the band's first studio album to feature clean vocalist Tilian Pearson, bass guitarist Tim Feerick, and guitarist Josh Benton. It is the band's only studio album to feature Benton on rhythm guitar, who departed shortly after the album's release. The album was produced by Matt Malpass, which marks the band's first and only studio album to not be produced by Kris Crummett, who has produced all of the band's previous releases since Whatever I Say Is Royal Ocean (2006).
Hail the Sun is an American post-hardcore band from Chico, California. Formed in 2009, the band currently consists of lead vocalist and drummer Donovan Melero, guitarist Shane Gann, guitarist Aric Garcia, bass guitarist John Stirrat, and touring and studio drummer Allen Casillas. They are known for their eclectic progressive rock and math rock style, along with traditional elements of screamo and post-hardcore. They released their debut studio album, POW! Right In the Kisser! (2010), and EP, Elephantitis (2012), independently before signing to Blue Swan Records the following year. The group released their sophomore studio album, Wake, in 2014. In 2016, the band departed from the label, signing to Equal Vision Records and released their third studio album, Culture Scars on June 17, 2016, which charted at number 38 on the Billboard Top Rock Albums chart.
William Swan is an American songwriter and musician born in Sacramento, California. He is best known as the lead guitarist and co-founder of the American post-hardcore band Dance Gavin Dance and as the founder and owner of record label Blue Swan Records. He is also a guitarist in the metal band Secret Band, progressive rock band Royal Coda, and was a guitarist in the now defunct Sianvar.
Sianvar was an American progressive rock band from Sacramento, California, formed in 2013. The group currently consists of lead vocalist Donovan Melero, guitarists Will Swan and Sergio Medina, and drummer Joseph Arrington. The band is signed to Swan's independent record label Blue Swan Records. They released their debut self-titled EP on January 5, 2014 and their debut full-length studio album, Stay Lost, in August 2016. The band announced an indefinite hiatus on April 8, 2019.
Stay Lost is the debut full-length studio album by American post-hardcore band Sianvar, released on August 5, 2016, on Blue Swan Records. The album serves as a follow-up to the band's 2014 debut EP, Sianvar. It is the band's only studio album to feature bass guitarist Michael Franzino and is the final release before the group announced its indefinite hiatus in April 2019.
Artificial Selection is the eighth studio album by American rock band Dance Gavin Dance, released on June 8, 2018, on Rise Records. It is the follow-up to the band's seventh studio album, Mothership (2016) and is their third consecutive studio release with the same line-up. The album was produced by Kris Crummett, Erik Ron, and Dryw Owens, and was self-produced by Dance Gavin Dance, making it the first release by the band to feature more than one producer.
Royal Coda is an American rock band based in Sacramento, California, founded by lead guitarist Sergio Medina. They are known for their amalgamation of progressive rock, psychedelic rock, and post-hardcore. The band currently consists of lead vocalist Kurt Travis, guitarists Sergio Medina and Will Swan, and bass guitarist Steffen Gotsch.
The Skeptic is the third solo studio album by American singer-songwriter and Dance Gavin Dance vocalist Tilian Pearson, released on September 28, 2018, through Future Friends and Rise Records. The album is a follow-up to his second studio album, Perfect Enemy (2015), and is his first solo release on Rise since departing with Vital Records. The album was produced by Kris Crummett, who performed drums and percussion on the record, while Pearson performed guitar, keyboards, and bass guitar.
Royal Coda is the eponymous debut full-length studio album by American post-hardcore band Royal Coda, released on April 27, 2018, on Blue Swan Records. The album was produced by Dominic Nastasi and Mike Watts. It is the only release to feature the original trio of lead vocalist Kurt Travis, guitarist Sergio Medina, and drummer Joseph Arrington before guitarist Will Swan joined the three musicians the following year.
"Head Hunter" is a song performed by American rock band Dance Gavin Dance. It was released as a single for digital download and streaming on March 22, 2019, through Rise Records. It serves as a stand-alone single and will not be featured on the group's recent ninth studio album, and is the first piece of new music since the band's eighth studio album, Artificial Selection (2018). It was written by the band's vocalists Tilian Pearson and Jon Mess, with the music composed by the band with additional guitar and vocals from Eidola guitarist Andrew Wells.
There’s A Place I Want To Take You is the second studio album by American recording artist Kurt Travis, released on May 17, 2019, through Blue Swan Records and his own label, Esque Records. It also serves as a follow-up to his debut studio album, Everything Is Beautiful (2014). The album's lyrical content deals with heartbreak and emotional turmoil while, sonically, Travis pursued folk-inspired songwriting, using elements of indie rock, electronica, dream pop, and power pop. It was produced by Mike Watts and recorded at VuDu Recording Studios in Port Jefferson, New York and features a guest appearance from singer-rapper Andrés on two tracks.
Afterburner is the ninth full-length studio album by American rock band Dance Gavin Dance. Released on April 24, 2020, on Rise Records, the album serves as a follow-up to the group's eighth studio album, Artificial Selection (2018). Recording sessions for the album took place over a three-month period between August and October 2019 with producer Kris Crummett at Interlace Audio in Portland, Oregon, while the vocals were recorded with producer Drew Fulk in Los Angeles, California. The album is considered a musical progression for the band, as the group experimented with funk, Latin, rap, and metalcore which accompanied their post-hardcore and experimental rock styles. It is the group's final studio album to be released during bass guitarist Tim Feerick's lifetime before his death in April 2022.
"Prisoner" is a song by American rock band Dance Gavin Dance. It was released to digital download and streaming services as the lead single from their ninth studio album, Afterburner, on February 21, 2020, by Rise Records. The song features an uncredited guest appearance from Royal Coda and Eidola guitarist Sergio Medina.
The Architect is the fourth full-length studio album by American rock band Eidola, released on September 17, 2021 through Blue Swan Records and Rise Records. The album serves as a follow-up to their third studio album, To Speak, To Listen (2017), and is their first to not feature rhythm guitarist Brandon Bascom, who departed from the band in December 2017 and was replaced by Royal Coda guitarist Sergio Medina. It is also the band's first release since their record label Blue Swan Records partnered with Rise in February 2021. The album was produced by Ian Cooperstein and Kris Crummett with recording sessions taking place at Interlace Audio in Portland, Oregon.
Gold Necklace is the self-titled debut studio album by American progressive rock duo Gold Necklace, composed of American musicians Kurt Travis (vocals) and Brandon Ewing. The album was released on November 12, 2021 through the independent record label Kill Iconic Records, a label owned by Hail the Sun frontman Donovan Melero. Produced by Josh Benton, the album was written and recorded at Pus Cavern Studios in Sacramento, California between March and July 2021. Joseph Arrington wrote, performed, and recorded drums for the album. Gold Necklace is a progressive rock and jazz-fusion album with influences of funk, soul, R&B, and jazz.
Jackpot Juicer is the tenth full-length studio album by American rock band Dance Gavin Dance, released on July 29, 2022, on Rise Records. It serves as the follow-up to their ninth studio album, Afterburner (2020). Produced by Kris Crummett, the album was recorded at Interlace Audio in Portland, Oregon, between April and July 2021 and is the band's longest album to date consisting of eighteen tracks and a runtime of one hour and three minutes. It is the band's first studio album to be credited as a sextet since Acceptance Speech (2013) as well as their first to feature Andrew Wells as an official member since joining as a touring guitarist in 2015. It is also their final release to feature bassist Tim Feerick who died on April 13, 2022.
