Perhaps not since Jimmy Eat World or Gin Blossoms has Phoenix had this kind of pride.
Dear and the Headlights, a Tempe-based indie-rock band, has been gaining recognition for the past two years as a local talent, resulting in a second album and being swept up by Equal Vision Records.
“As far as the second record, I think it’s probably the most exciting thing that’s happened to us as a band,” bassist Chuckie Duff says. “We’ve made it to that second record.”
Their new album, Drunk Like Bible Times, was recorded at Flying Blanket Recording Studios in Mesa with producer Bob Hoag. The album is planned to be released on Sept. 30.
Therefore, Malia Productions and President Gator present the Dear and the Headlights Drunk Like Bible Times CD release show Sept. 26 at The Clubhouse in Tempe. Also on the bill are What Laura Says, Poem, and Dylan Thomas & Pals with special guest DJ William “Fucking” Reed.
Duff says the cool thing about the CD release show is there are three bands opening and “we’re friends with all of them.”
Sociology sophomore Kody Holmes says he’s very proud of Dear and the Headlights. “As for Drunk Like Bible Times, I’ve been counting down the days since 2008 started,” he says. “There’s no album I’ve looked forward to more this year.”
Holmes says the CD cover has been his computer desktop for months.
“We’ve grown up a little bit it as songwriters,” Duff says. “Lyrically, Ian’s outdone himself on this record.”
Ian Metzger is the lead vocalist for Dear and the Headlights. He plays with guitarist P.J. Waxman, drummer Mark Kulvinskas, Robert Cissell on bass, keys, and guitar, and of course, Duff.
“I love Metzger’s very developed and range-abled voice,” secondary education sophomore Andy Bays says. “I am so excited to pick up their new CD because I know they won’t let me down.”
Duff says none of the songs for the new album were demoed ahead of time and most of the tracks were written within the six months leading up to recording. He says everything started from scratch in the practice space.
“The last record is a group of songs written over a course of like four or five years,” Duff says. He says it got to the point where the band was sick of hearing it.
Duff says the band had played approximately 15 shows before the first album and since then has played about 200.
“We’ve become more of a live band — we understand that aspect of rock and roll now a lot better,” he says. “We tried to bring that to this record, make it sound a little more loud and more live.”
Secondary education junior Victor Le Mai says Dear and the Headlights shows are a swirl of excitement. “I remember going to their first show in Borders bookstore on Mill Avenue back in April 2005,” he says. “It’s really cool to see a band emerging out of Phoenix and putting out their second album.”
Dear and the Headlights had their last CD release show for Small Steps, Heavy Hooves, their debut album, on Feb. 1, 2007 at Modified Arts in downtown Phoenix. Small Steps was released Feb. 6, 2007 and was also produced by Bob Hoag.
“The original plan was to go back to Modified and do two nights,” Duff says, “But we didn’t want people to not be able to make it in to the show, so we’re at the Clubhouse.”
The band has since only lost guitarist, vocalist and keyboardist Joel Marquard. He now sings for the Tempe-based indie band Gospel Claws. Robert Cissell has since taken up the fifth-man position on guitar and keyboards.
Greg Sieme, the director of new media at Equal Vision Records, says he loves having the band on the label.
“I’m always blown away when I see the band perform live, and when I heard Drunk Like Bible Times for the first time, it gave me chills,” Sieme says in an e-mail. “It’s a pleasure working with them and I’m looking forward to what the future will bring for Dear and the Headlights.”
Sieme says the band also brings diversity to Equal Vision Records. “Dear and the Headlights is taking us as a label into places we may have never reached any other way,” he says.
“The response of Small Steps was good enough and positive enough and big enough that Equal Vision has put a lot more into [the second album],” he says. “Into advertising, the release and helping people anticipate it.”
Sieme says he thinks the bands existing fans are eagerly anticipating Drunk Like Bible Times.
“They’ve been working hard and getting their music in front of a lot of people,” Sieme says. “All of the feedback we’ve gotten from the songs we have released already has been extremely positive.”
— lauren.cusimano@asu.edu
