La Dispute (band)
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La Dispute is an American
post-hardcore Post-hardcore is a punk rock music genre that maintains the aggression and intensity of hardcore punk but emphasizes a greater degree of creative expression. It was initially inspired by post-punk and noise rock. Like post-punk, the term has been ...
band from
Grand Rapids, Michigan Grand Rapids is a city and county seat of Kent County, Michigan, Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 198,917 which ranks it as the List of municipalities in Mi ...
, formed in 2004. The current lineup is vocalist Jordan Dreyer, drummer Brad Vander Lugt, guitarist Chad Morgan-Sterenberg, guitarist Corey Stroffolino and bass guitarist Adam Vass. The band released their debut album, ''
Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...
'', in 2006 on Friction Records and then temporarily signed to Forest Life records where they released ''
Here, Hear. ''Here, Hear.'' is an EP by La Dispute, released on May 15, 2008 through Forest Life Records. The extended play contains a series of spoken-word tracks that focus on combining pieces of pre-existing poetry and writings with a variety of instrume ...
'' and ''Untitled 7"'' in May 2008. Their second studio album ''
Somewhere at the Bottom of the River Between Vega and Altair ''Somewhere at the Bottom of the River Between Vega and Altair'' is the debut studio album by American post-hardcore band La Dispute. Supported by three release shows, it was released on November 11, 2008, alongside '' Here, Hear II.'' through ...
'' was released in conjunction with '' Here, Hear II.'' on No Sleep Records in November 2008. ''
Here, Hear III. ''Here, Hear III.'' is an EP by La Dispute, self-released on December 25, 2009. Unlike the previous two EPs in the series, ''Here, Hear III.'' was recorded in Brad Vander Lugt's basement. Release With the release of this extended play, the fir ...
'' (2009), ''
The Worth of the World ''Searching for a Pulse/The Worth of the World'' is a split EP between American post-hardcore bands Touché Amoré and La Dispute. It was released on July 27, 2010, through No Sleep Records. The EP was the first split release for both bands and ...
'' (2010) and '' Never Come Undone'' (2011) then followed before releasing their third studio album, ''
Wildlife Wildlife refers to domestication, undomesticated animal species (biology), species, but has come to include all organisms that grow or live wilderness, wild in an area without being species, introduced by humans. Wildlife was also synonymous ...
'' (2011). Their fourth studio album, ''
Rooms of the House ''Rooms of the House'' is the third studio album by American post-hardcore band La Dispute, released on March 18, 2014 through their own label Better Living. History The album was written in a cabin in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and recor ...
'', was released on March 18, 2014. ''
Panorama A panorama (formed from Greek πᾶν "all" + ὅραμα "view") is any wide-angle view or representation of a physical space, whether in painting, drawing, photography, film, seismic images, or 3D modeling. The word was originally coined in ...
'', their fifth studio album, was released on March 22, 2019, almost exactly five years later.


History


Formation, early years and ''Vancouver'' (2004–2007)

La Dispute was formed in Grand Rapids, Michigan in late 2004 by cousins Jordan Dreyer and Brad Vander Lugt, Kevin Whittemore, Derek Sterenberg and Adam Kool; Dreyer was never a singer and did not write any music prior to forming the band but was a writer, primarily writing
poetry Poetry (derived from the Greek ''poiesis'', "making"), also called verse, is a form of literature that uses aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language − such as phonaesthetics, sound symbolism, and metre − to evoke meanings i ...
and
short fiction A short story is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the oldest t ...
. During this time the band mainly played
house shows A house show or live event is a professional wrestling event produced by a major promotion that is not televised, though they can be recorded. Promotions use house shows mainly to cash in on the exposure that they and their wrestlers receive du ...
or at the Division Avenue Arts Collective (a volunteer-run
DIY "Do it yourself" ("DIY") is the method of building, modifying, or repairing things by oneself without the direct aid of professionals or certified experts. Academic research has described DIY as behaviors where "individuals use raw and sem ...
music venue, community center, and art gallery) in Downtown Grand Rapids. Chad Sterenberg replaced his older brother Derek in 2006 the day after the release of their debut EP, ''
Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...
'' (released April 14, 2006), which was the only release the band produced while on the Friction Records roster.
Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...
based friend of the band Adam Vass later joined in 2007. It wasn't until the loss of Derek Sterenberg and Adam Kool that they took the project seriously.


''Here, Hear. I, II & III'' and ''Somewhere at the Bottom of the River Between Vega and Altair'' (2008–2009)

La Dispute signed to Southern California-based record label
No Sleep Records No Sleep Records is an American independent record label in Huntington Beach, California. They were founded by Chris Hansen in 2006 and have released records by artists including Balance and Composure, La Dispute (band), La Dispute, and The Wonde ...
in early 2008. Jordan Dreyer describes this move to the label as sharing a similar perspective on music, stating: "The primary attraction with No Sleep for us was that it was obvious through talking to Chris
ansen Ansen is a village in the Dutch province of Drenthe. It is in the municipality De Wolden, about 15 km northwest of the town of Hoogeveen. The music festival Vogelpop is hosted in Ansen. History Ansen is an ''esdorp'' without a church which ...
that his intentions with the label were in line with ours as a band." To fill in the gap between their debut release ''Vancouver'' and their upcoming album the band released an exclusive
vinyl record A phonograph record (also known as a gramophone record, especially in British English), or simply a record, is an analog sound storage medium in the form of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove. The groove usually starts nea ...
, ''
Untitled 7" La Dispute is an American post-hardcore band from Grand Rapids, Michigan, formed in 2004. The current lineup is vocalist Jordan Dreyer, drummer Brad Vander Lugt, guitarist Chad Morgan-Sterenberg, guitarist Corey Stroffolino and bass guitarist ...
'', consisting of two tracks which were extra songs from the writing sessions of their debut album. Also in May, the EP ''
Here, Hear. ''Here, Hear.'' is an EP by La Dispute, released on May 15, 2008 through Forest Life Records. The extended play contains a series of spoken-word tracks that focus on combining pieces of pre-existing poetry and writings with a variety of instrume ...
'' was released, which would soon follow sequels, with Dreyer stating: "''Here Hear'' we did as a challenge to ourselves creatively as a way to expand our horizons and also broaden the context for anyone else who is interested in checking who we are as a band". On November 11, 2008, La Dispute released their debut album ''
Somewhere at the Bottom of the River Between Vega and Altair ''Somewhere at the Bottom of the River Between Vega and Altair'' is the debut studio album by American post-hardcore band La Dispute. Supported by three release shows, it was released on November 11, 2008, alongside '' Here, Hear II.'' through ...
'' through No Sleep Records. La Dispute recorded the album at StudiOtte in Grand Rapids with Joel and Troy Otte. The album's lyrical themes base around an Asian folk tale regarding the plight of a prince and a princess who are separated after marriage by a river they are not allowed to cross. The album doesn't use this concept strictly and uses it as more of a "jumping off point for similar struggles that people face." It was well received by critics, with positive reviews from
AbsolutePunk ''AbsolutePunk'' was a website, online community, and alternative music news source founded by Jason Tate (the most recent CEO). The website mainly focused on artists who are relatively unknown to mainstream audiences, but it was known to fea ...
,
Alternative Press Alternative press may refer to: Individual publications * ''Alternative Press'' (magazine), an American music magazine Alternative journalism * Alternative media ** Alternative media (U.S. political left) ** Alternative media (U.S. political ri ...
, Punknews.org, and
Sputnikmusic Sputnikmusic is an American music community website offering music criticism and music news alongside features commonly associated with wiki-style websites. The format of the website is unusual in that it includes both professional and amateur c ...
. They played three release shows to support the album in their home state of Michigan: on November 8 at Skelletones, November 14 at the UAW Retirees Hall in Traverse City, and November 22 at the Howell Opera House in Howell. Their debut album was released simultaneously with the second extended play in their "Here, Hear experiment": '' Here, Hear II.'' The EP also accompanied the first 300 sales of the album. On December 25, 2009, La Dispute Released ''
Here, Hear III. ''Here, Hear III.'' is an EP by La Dispute, self-released on December 25, 2009. Unlike the previous two EPs in the series, ''Here, Hear III.'' was recorded in Brad Vander Lugt's basement. Release With the release of this extended play, the fir ...
'' The EP was self-released via digital download off their
Bandcamp Bandcamp is an American online audio distribution platform founded in 2007 by Oddpost co-founder Ethan Diamond and programmers Shawn Grunberger, Joe Holt and Neal Tucker, with headquarters in Oakland, California, US. On March 2, 2022, Bandcamp ...
page. Released as well on Bandcamp were ''Hear, Hear.'', ''Hear, Hear II.'', ''Untitled 7"'' and a two track Christmas EP titled ''Winter Tour Holiday CD-R'', which featured two Christmas songs: a cover of " 'Twas The Night Before Christmas" and an original song, "First Snow in Silent Grand Rapids". Although they became free to download, it was possible to donate money; all donations went to benefit the Well House Community Living of Grand Rapids, a non-profit outreach program in Grand Rapids that provides emergency shelter and permanent housing for homeless families. The period of donation ended on January 17, 2010, and $1715 was raised for Well House. All subsequent donations after the period have gone towards covering recording expenses for the band.


''The Worth of the World'', ''Never Come Undone'' and ''Wildlife'' (2010–2012)

Throughout April and May 2010, La Dispute supported
Alexisonfire Alexisonfire (pronounced "Alexis on Fire") is a Canadian post-hardcore band formed in St. Catharines, OntarioRoss, Mike.Band is a scream", CANOE JAM!, April 30, 2004. Retrieved on July 17, 2007. in 2001. The band's members are George Pettit (vo ...
across the United States alongside
Trash Talk Trash talk is a form of insult usually found in sports events, although it is not exclusive to sports or similarly characterized events. It is often used to intimidate the opposition and/or make them less confident in their abilities as to win e ...
and
Therefore I Am Therefore I Am was an American post-hardcore band formed in Boston in May 2004. After recording two independent extended plays, they signed to Epitaph Records in 2005 and later to Equal Vision Records in 2008, on which they recorded one full-l ...
. La Dispute and
Touché Amoré Touché Amoré is an American post-hardcore band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 2007. The band consists of vocalist Jeremy Bolm, guitarists Clayton Stevens and Nick Steinhardt, bassist Tyler Kirby, and drummer Elliot Babin. Among other ...
released a 7" extended play titled
Searching for a Pulse/The Worth of the World ''Searching for a Pulse/The Worth of the World'' is a split EP between American post-hardcore bands Touché Amoré and La Dispute. It was released on July 27, 2010, through No Sleep Records. The EP was the first split release for both bands and ...
on September 14, 2010, which was co written by all members of both bands and features vocal cross-overs from the vocalists. Progress on the recording of La Dispute's second studio album began as early as November 2010. The album was recorded in pieces to wrap around their intense tour schedule, starting with the recording of instrumentation for six tracks in Drasik Studios in
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...
. In April, they revealed that the album would be 14 tracks long, and revealed that they had been progressively modifying the music over the length of the tour. La Dispute accompanied Alexisonfire again on a Canadian leg of a tour in November and December 2010. On this tour, they played alongside Norma Jean and
Four Year Strong Four Year Strong is an American pop punk band from Worcester, Massachusetts, formed in 2001. The group consists of vocalists and guitarists Dan O'Connor and Alan Day, bassist Joe Weiss, and drummer Jake Massucco. They have released seven studio al ...
. The band went into StadiumRed studio in New York City in March 2011 to record the remainder of the album. Andrew Everding, the keyboardist of
Thursday Thursday is the Names of the days of the week, day of the week between Wednesday and Friday. According to the ISO 8601 international standard, it is the fourth day of the week. In countries which adopt the "Sunday-first" convention, it is the fi ...
and producer Joe Pedulla served as recording engineers at both studios. On May 3, 2011, La Dispute released a split EP with American acoustic singer-songwriter
Andrew Koji Shiraki Koji (born Andrew Koji Shiraki, February 12, 1987, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, United States) is an American songwriter and activist. They signed with Run For Cover Records in August 2010 where they released a live EP entitled, Spring Song Vol. ...
(Koji), titled Never Come Undone. The split featured La Dispute performing an acoustic rendition of "Last Blues For Bloody Knuckles," a song from their debut album. Their second contribution was an original song titled "Sunday Morning, at a Funeral." On July 5, La Dispute started a Canadian tour with
Make Do and Mend Make Do and Mend was an American post-hardcore band from West Hartford, Connecticut, that formed in 2006, who relocated to Boston, Massachusetts. They released 2 EPs on Panic Records, a split with Touché Amoré and three full-length albums. Whil ...
and No Sleep Records associates Balance and Composure. The focus of this tour was to promote the release of Never Come Undone. La Dispute, Touché Amoré and Norwegian
hardcore punk Hardcore punk (also known as simply hardcore) is a punk rock music genre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots can be traced to earlier punk ...
band Death Is Not Glamorous completed a European tour, which started July 27, 2011 and finished August 12, to coincide with both La Dispute's and Touché Amoré's appearances at
Hevy Festival Hevy Music Festival was a rock festival established by Claire Baker and James that took place annually near Folkestone, Kent, in the UK. It was originally held on 1 August 2009 on Folkestone seafront as a one-day festival with Feeder, Gary Nu ...
in the United Kingdom, Fluff Fest in Czech Republic and
Ieperfest Ieperfest is a Belgian hardcore music festival held in Ypres ( nl, Ieper). The summer edition of the festival was first held in September 1992, then annually each August from 1994 to 2018 (no summer event was held in 1993). Since 2019, the summ ...
in Belgium in 2011. On August 23, La Dispute announced the title of their second album, and revealed the track listing and album art. The album, titled
Wildlife Wildlife refers to domestication, undomesticated animal species (biology), species, but has come to include all organisms that grow or live wilderness, wild in an area without being species, introduced by humans. Wildlife was also synonymous ...
, was released on October 4, 2011. Lyrically, Jordan Dreyer has described the album as being "... set-up as a collection of sort of stories/poems annotated by the author and split into thematic sections by four monologues." Vocalist Jordan Dreyer considers the album a lyrical experiment with elements they intended to use in the first album. The announcement of the new album was accompanied by a complete re-design of their website, themed around the album's "Wildlife" design. Two singles were released digitally prior to its release, "The Most Beautiful Bitter Fruit" and "Harder Harmonies". On September 30, La Dispute joined
Thrice Thrice is an American rock band from Irvine, California, formed in 1998. The group was founded by guitarist/vocalist Dustin Kensrue and lead guitarist Teppei Teranishi while they were in high school. Early in their career, the band was known ...
, Moving Mountains, and O'Brother on a tour around the United States, which finished November 11. Throughout 2012, La Dispute embarked on a series of headlining tours, which acted as promotion for ''Wildlife'', with tour legs in Europe, Australia and North America respectively. La Dispute's European tour took place in January and early February, with support from Former Thieves. Their Australian tour started four days after their European tour ended, and instead of having a permanent support band they had a different lineup every night that was composed of local bands. The North American leg of the tour started in late March and lasted until the beginning of May. This tour had support from Balance And Composure,
Sainthood Reps Sainthood Reps is an American indie rock band from Long Island, New York, formed in 2009. Their debut album, ''Monoculture'', was released on Tooth & Nail Records in the summer of 2011 and was produced by Mike Sapone. The band released their sec ...
, and All Get Out. They made several festival appearances in the summer of 2012 including
Download Festival Download Festival is a British-created rock festival created by Terrance Gough, held annually at the Donington Park motorsport circuit in Leicestershire, England (since 2003); in Paris, France (since 2016); at Parramatta Park, Sydney (since 201 ...
Greenfield Festival The Greenfield Festival is an annual rock music festival held on the outskirts of the town of Interlaken, in the Swiss canton of Bern. Editions 2005 * Date: 24–26 June 2005 * Visitors: 25,500 Line-up: * Adam Green * Aereogramme * Alter ...
,
Hurricane Festival The Hurricane Festival, also just Hurricane, is a music festival that has taken place at the Eichenring, a speedway race track, in Scheeßel, Germany, since 1997. With more than 80,000 attendees (2022) it is one of the largest music festivals in ...
and
Southside Festival The Southside Festival (simply known as Southside) is an annual music festival that takes place near Tuttlingen, Germany, usually every June. The festival as well as its artists and audiences are generally associated within the alternative part ...
. After their ''Wildlife'' tour the band spent 2012 on a vacation of sorts. On April 13 and 14 respectively the band recorded two different live studio sessions, with "Audio Tree" and "Violitionist Sessions," making their last tour appearances in September and October on a European tour with Title Fight and
Make Do And Mend Make Do and Mend was an American post-hardcore band from West Hartford, Connecticut, that formed in 2006, who relocated to Boston, Massachusetts. They released 2 EPs on Panic Records, a split with Touché Amoré and three full-length albums. Whil ...
.


''Rooms of the House'' and departure from No Sleep Records (2013–2017)

In 2013, the band made their first tour appearance in supporting
Hot Water Music Hot Water Music is an American punk rock band formed in October 1994 and based in Gainesville, Florida. Since their formation, the group has consisted of Chuck Ragan and Chris Wollard on shared lead vocals and guitars, bass guitarist Jason Bl ...
across the United States in January and February. La Dispute's performance on the tour was met with positive reception, with comparison to the other bands on the lineup, they were considered "more on the hardcore side of the spectrum." Before the tour started on January 12, the band performed at The Crofoot to headline a two-stage show with bands Into it. Over it., Koji, The Swellers, Cheap Girls, Mixtapes, Pity Sex, Tiger! Tiger!, and Pentimento In June 2013 the band toured Australia for the fourth time being supported by Pianos Become the Teeth. The idea of Pianos Become the Teeth supporting La Dispute came about as the members of both bands are close friends and had wished to tour together, however their touring schedules have always clashed. On the band's website a countdown timer was added that hinted at a new album announcement on December 16, 2013. On December 16, along with a completely revamped website, La Dispute announced that their new album ''Rooms of the House'' will be released on March 18, 2014, and will be co-produced by
Will Yip Will may refer to: Common meanings * Will and testament, instructions for the disposition of one's property after death * Will (philosophy), or willpower * Will (sociology) * Will, volition (psychology) * Will, a modal verb - see Shall and will ...
. They also announced that they left
No Sleep Records No Sleep Records is an American independent record label in Huntington Beach, California. They were founded by Chris Hansen in 2006 and have released records by artists including Balance and Composure, La Dispute (band), La Dispute, and The Wonde ...
and started their own label, Better Living. The album was released via
Big Scary Monsters Big Scary Monsters Recording Company (often known simply as Big Scary Monsters or BSM Records) is an independent record label based in Oxford, England, UK. Its releases include La Dispute, Beach Slang, Modern Baseball, Minus The Bear, mewit ...
in the UK and Europe. In April 2014, founding member and guitarist Kevin Whittemore departed from the band. He played his final show with the band on April 14, 2014, in
Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...
. Throughout 2014 the band played over 70 shows in 16 countries around the world. ROTH was noted in several end of year lists including: Paste's "50 Best Albums of 2014", Consequence of Sound's "Top 50 Songs of 2014" and Alternative Press' "10 Essential Albums of 2014". The band was also listed as one of Paste magazines "top 25 live acts". In June 2016, the band toured around the United States and Canada with
Thrice Thrice is an American rock band from Irvine, California, formed in 1998. The group was founded by guitarist/vocalist Dustin Kensrue and lead guitarist Teppei Teranishi while they were in high school. Early in their career, the band was known ...
and Gates. Then, later that month
Thrice Thrice is an American rock band from Irvine, California, formed in 1998. The group was founded by guitarist/vocalist Dustin Kensrue and lead guitarist Teppei Teranishi while they were in high school. Early in their career, the band was known ...
announced a tour of the US and Canada with La Dispute and Nothing, Nowhere from September to October 2016. When asked by Substream Magazine in 2016 whether their documentary "Tiny Dots" was the end of a chapter or novel, La Dispute responded, "We did record the album, the film is a celebration of that, but at the same time there is no obvious next step for the band. We don't know if this is the end of the novel, but we figure then that this documentary is a fitting way to close it."


''Somewhere at the Bottom of the River'' re-issue and ''Panorama'' (2018–present)

On August 7, 2018, the band announced they would be releasing a re-worked version of ''
Somewhere at the Bottom of the River Between Vega and Altair ''Somewhere at the Bottom of the River Between Vega and Altair'' is the debut studio album by American post-hardcore band La Dispute. Supported by three release shows, it was released on November 11, 2008, alongside '' Here, Hear II.'' through ...
'' for the album's 10th anniversary. The re-issue featured newly processed versions of the original guitar and bass recordings, as well as a new mix and master. Alongside this announcement, the band also released a new version of "The Castle Builders" taken from the album, and revealed they would be touring the United States with Circa Survive beginning in October 2018. On September 17, it was announced that the band had signed to
Epitaph Records Epitaph Records is an American independent record label owned by Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, most acts signed to the label were punk and pop punk acts, while there are many post-hardcore and emo bands ...
for their fourth studio album, ''
Panorama A panorama (formed from Greek πᾶν "all" + ὅραμα "view") is any wide-angle view or representation of a physical space, whether in painting, drawing, photography, film, seismic images, or 3D modeling. The word was originally coined in ...
''. The first two songs from the album, Rose Quartz and Fulton Street I, premiered on December 4 via NPR's
All Songs Considered ''All Songs Considered'' is a weekly online multimedia program started in January 2000 by NPR's ''All Things Considered'' director Bob Boilen. At first, the show featured information and streaming audio about the songs used as bumper music on '' ...
and featured an animated music video by Sarah Schmidt. On January 9, the 8th track "Footsteps at the Pond" was debuted with another animated music video by Daisy Fernandez. ''Panorama'' was released on March 22, 2019. A remix album was released on December 25, 2019. In June 2022, La Dispute announced a belated 10-year-anniversary tour for ''Wildlife''. The North American leg took place in September and October 2022 and was joined by Sweet Pill and Pictoria Vark. The band confirmed via Twitter that they would take the tour to the UK, the EU and Australia "at some point in the near future".


Characteristics


Logo and band name

The band has always used a band logo similar to what they do now. La Dispute started to use a redrawn, computer generated version of their logo as of October 2010. The band's name is from the
Pierre de Marivaux Pierre Carlet de Chamblain de Marivaux (4 February 1688 – 12 February 1763), commonly referred to as Marivaux, was a French playwright and novelist. He is considered one of the most important French playwrights of the 18th century, writing nume ...
work from 1774 of the same name, it was a play Dreyer watched while in high school and felt parallels between the work and the music he was writing at the time.


Musical style

Jordan Dreyer, the band's singer, has commented on the use of tags to describe the band's style, saying: "In general, I think boxing art into categories only serves as a way to exclude people from exploring different variations of the same thing. I think the only real definition between artists exists in their intentions for creating art ..." But despite this La Dispute is described as playing
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...
,
blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...
and
spoken word Spoken word refers to an oral poetic performance art that is based mainly on the poem as well as the performer's aesthetic qualities. It is a late 20th century continuation of an ancient oral artistic tradition that focuses on the aesthetics of ...
influenced
post-hardcore Post-hardcore is a punk rock music genre that maintains the aggression and intensity of hardcore punk but emphasizes a greater degree of creative expression. It was initially inspired by post-punk and noise rock. Like post-punk, the term has been ...
which incorporates elements which range through
screamo Screamo (also referred to as skramz) is an aggressive subgenre of emo that emerged in the early 1990s and emphasizes "willfully experimental dissonance and dynamics".Jason Heller, "Feast of Reason". ''Denver Westword'', June 20, 2002Access date: ...
,
progressive rock Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog; sometimes conflated with art rock) is a broad genre of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom and United States through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early 1970s. Init ...
,
post-rock Post-rock is a form of experimental rock characterized by a focus on exploring textures and timbre over traditional rock song structures, chords, or riffs. Post-rock artists are often instrumental, typically combining rock instrumentation with ...
and
hardcore punk Hardcore punk (also known as simply hardcore) is a punk rock music genre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots can be traced to earlier punk ...
. Well recognized elements of La Dispute's music are incorporating spoken word style passages into intense songs, the use of highly complex lyrics and Jordan Dreyer's versatile control of his voice; able to swap between singing and
screaming A scream is a loud speech production, vocalization in which air is passed through the vocal cords with greater force than is used in regular or close-distance vocalisation. This can be performed by any creature possessing lungs, including human ...
to correspond and compliment to the emotion of the music and the lyrics. The band's instrumentation is seen as "near-
shoegaze Shoegaze (originally called shoegazing and sometimes conflated with "dream pop") is a subgenre of indie and alternative rock characterized by its ethereal mixture of obscured vocals, guitar distortion and effects, feedback, and overwhelming volu ...
guitar drones that complemented the distorted bass" and this couples with their music being like "confessional diary entries; spoken and shouted-word lyrics accompanied by minor-chord harmonies". The music on their first album ''
Somewhere at the Bottom of the River Between Vega and Altair ''Somewhere at the Bottom of the River Between Vega and Altair'' is the debut studio album by American post-hardcore band La Dispute. Supported by three release shows, it was released on November 11, 2008, alongside '' Here, Hear II.'' through ...
'' is seen as blending elements of
punk Punk or punks may refer to: Genres, subculture, and related aspects * Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres * Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...
, progressive rock,
emo Emo is a rock music genre characterized by emotional, often confessional lyrics. It emerged as a style of and hardcore punk from the Washington D.C. hardcore punk scene, where it was known as emotional hardcore or emocore and pioneered b ...
and
metalcore Metalcore (also known as metallic hardcore) is a fusion music genre that combines elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk. As with other styles blending metal and hardcore, such as crust punk and grindcore, metalcore is noted for its use of ...
. The band's second album, ''Wildlife'' showed a lighter approach to music, compared to both their debut album and mini album, combining elements from both the split albums they wrote with Touché Amoré and Koji respectively. Wildlife was written differently in comparison to the band's previous work, as the lyrics and concept were written before the music. Wildlife's lyrics follow a loosely thematic collection of "short stories" examining the life struggles that shape and define us as individuals. The band drew inspiration from real issues and true stories that they themselves had confronted or heard of in their home town of
Grand Rapids Grand Rapids is a city and county seat of Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 198,917 which ranks it as the second most-populated city in the state after Detroit. Grand Rapids is the ...
. A primary example of this is the track ''King Park'' which focuses on the story of an
inner city The term ''inner city'' has been used, especially in the United States, as a euphemism for majority-minority lower-income residential districts that often refer to rundown neighborhoods, in a downtown or city centre area. Sociologists some ...
drive-by shooting A drive-by shooting is a type of assault that usually involves the perpetrator(s) firing a weapon from within a motor vehicle and then fleeing. Drive-by shootings allow the perpetrator(s) to quickly strike their target and flee the scene before ...
. The band was noted for combining the energetic dynamics of
hardcore punk Hardcore punk (also known as simply hardcore) is a punk rock music genre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots can be traced to earlier punk ...
with the introspective elements of emo and focusing on simpler chord changes.


Influences

The band is said to be influenced by a broad range of music and as individuals they possess different influences. Post-hardcore bands like
Thursday Thursday is the Names of the days of the week, day of the week between Wednesday and Friday. According to the ISO 8601 international standard, it is the fourth day of the week. In countries which adopt the "Sunday-first" convention, it is the fi ...
,
Refused Refused (also known as the Refused) is a Swedish hardcore punk band originating from Umeå and formed in 1991. Refused is composed of vocalist Dennis Lyxzén, guitarist Kristofer Steen, drummer David Sandström, and bassist Magnus Flagge. Guit ...
,
At the Drive-In At the Drive-In was an American post-hardcore band from El Paso, Texas, formed in 1994. The band's most recent line-up consisted of Cedric Bixler-Zavala (vocals), Omar Rodríguez-López (guitar, vocals), Paul Hinojos (bass), Tony Hajjar (dru ...
and
Glassjaw Glassjaw is an American post-hardcore band from Hempstead, New York. The band is fronted by vocalist Daryl Palumbo and guitarist Justin Beck, and was a major part of the Long Island music scene in the early 2000s. The band has been influential i ...
are just some examples of commonalities amongst the band. Writing a tribute to
mewithoutYou MewithoutYou, usually styled as mewithoutYou, was an American rock band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The band consisted of Aaron Weiss (vocals), Michael Weiss and Brandon Beaver (guitars), Greg Jehanian (bass guitar), and Rickie Mazzotta ( ...
upon that band’s retirement, Deyer wrote that La Dispute “might never have been a band without mewithoutYou” and that he especially was influenced by singer Aaron Weiss’ stage presence. Drummer Brad Vander Lugt has said that the band with each record takes influences from other artists and musicians who are "pushing the envelope and challenging themselves." Vander Lugt personally cites his influences from blues and jazz musicians. Dreyer has stated his lyrical influences are derived from fiction writers rather than from poetry, as he likes to approach writing through stories and different characters. Particularly citing
Kurt Vonnegut Kurt Vonnegut Jr. (November 11, 1922 – April 11, 2007) was an American writer known for his satirical and darkly humorous novels. In a career spanning over 50 years, he published fourteen novels, three short-story collections, five plays, and ...
,
Vladimir Nabokov Vladimir Vladimirovich Nabokov (russian: link=no, Владимир Владимирович Набоков ; 2 July 1977), also known by the pen name Vladimir Sirin (), was a Russian-American novelist, poet, translator, and entomologist. Bo ...
as literary influences, and cites books from Nabokov like Pale Fire and Lolita as some of his favorites. The band credits now defunct Michigan based rock bands Ivan and Coal Black Horse as having a significant influence on La Dispute. Jacob Fricke of
The Badger Herald ''The Badger Herald'' is a newspaper serving the University of Wisconsin–Madison community, founded in 1969. The paper is published Monday through Friday during the academic year and once during the summer. Available at newsstands across campus ...
commented on how Black Flag's
third album ''Third Album'' is the third studio album released by the Jackson 5 on Motown Records, and the group's second LP released in 1970, on September 18. ''Third Album'' featured the group's fourth consecutive No. 1 single on the US pop charts, " I' ...
combination of spoken word on its A-side and their typical "hard-and-fast punk" on the B-side acted as an influence on La Dispute's style. La Dispute has been said to be a part of a self-proclaimed group of
post-hardcore Post-hardcore is a punk rock music genre that maintains the aggression and intensity of hardcore punk but emphasizes a greater degree of creative expression. It was initially inspired by post-punk and noise rock. Like post-punk, the term has been ...
bands called "The New Wave of Post-hardcore", shortened to "The Wave", with fellow post-hardcore artists
Defeater A defeater of a belief is evidence that this belief is false. Defeaters are of particular interest to epistemology since they affect whether a belief is justified. An important distinction is between undercutting and rebutting defeaters. Undercu ...
,
Make Do and Mend Make Do and Mend was an American post-hardcore band from West Hartford, Connecticut, that formed in 2006, who relocated to Boston, Massachusetts. They released 2 EPs on Panic Records, a split with Touché Amoré and three full-length albums. Whil ...
,
Pianos Become the Teeth Pianos Become the Teeth are an American band from Baltimore, Maryland, formed in 2006. Their early musical style has been inspired by post-rock and early screamo acts, and they are a part of a post-hardcore music movement also represented by Tou ...
and
Touché Amoré Touché Amoré is an American post-hardcore band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 2007. The band consists of vocalist Jeremy Bolm, guitarists Clayton Stevens and Nick Steinhardt, bassist Tyler Kirby, and drummer Elliot Babin. Among other ...
. The term "The Wave" was initially coined as an inside joke between the bands. However, Vander Lugt has commented on how the term has been interpreted with more serious attitude from people, saying: "people just ran with it and some kids took it really seriously, like we were trying to create some kind of collective, which it wasn't at all. But we are really good friends with all of those bands. They're like brothers to us and I think, in that way, it is a collective." A "self-defined movement" which
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
described in their article "The A-Z of pop in 2012" as having heavy lyrical emphasis and are reminiscent of the "90s
emo Emo is a rock music genre characterized by emotional, often confessional lyrics. It emerged as a style of and hardcore punk from the Washington D.C. hardcore punk scene, where it was known as emotional hardcore or emocore and pioneered b ...
scene." "The Wave" is believed to have a 'sphere of influence' that stretches beyond the initial artists and they believe other bands are included, including: All Teeth,
Balance and Composure Balance and Composure was an American alternative rock band from Doylestown, Pennsylvania. They formed in the winter of 2007, after the breakup of two local Doylestown bands. The band's music was often suggested having similarities to Title Fig ...
, Comadre, Former Thieves, Into It. Over It., Living With Lions, Seahaven,
Tigers Jaw Tigers Jaw is an American rock band from Scranton, Pennsylvania, formed in 2005. Their first album, ''Belongs to the Dead'', was released in 2006. They released a 7-inch single, "Spirit Desire", in 2009, on Tiny Engines. They released two more ...
and Title Fight. La Dispute have been noted as being a part of screamo revival. The immediate legacy of ''Wildlife'' has been noted as there has been a "huge influx" of 'melodic post hardcore' bands, particularly in the United States.


The Here, Hear "experiment"

La Dispute have an ongoing series of EPs called "Here, Hear" which they refer to as "the Here, Hear. experiment". The music on the EPs has been described as primarily
spoken word Spoken word refers to an oral poetic performance art that is based mainly on the poem as well as the performer's aesthetic qualities. It is a late 20th century continuation of an ancient oral artistic tradition that focuses on the aesthetics of ...
and
experimental An experiment is a procedure carried out to support or refute a hypothesis, or determine the efficacy or likelihood of something previously untried. Experiments provide insight into cause-and-effect by demonstrating what outcome occurs when ...
. When asked about the series Jordan Dreyer said: "For as long as we make music we'll make Here, Hear stuff". The first two Here, Hear EPs both added instrumentation to pre-existing material from poets and novelists such as Tom Robbins' Still Life with Woodpecker and Edgar Allan Poe's poem
Annabel Lee "Annabel Lee" is the last complete poem composed by American author Edgar Allan Poe. Like many of Poe's poems, it explores the theme of the death of a beautiful woman.Meyers, Jeffrey. ''Edgar Allan Poe: His Life and Legacy''. New York: Cooper Sq ...
and
Wind in the Willows ''The Wind in the Willows'' is a children's novel by the British novelist Kenneth Grahame, first published in 1908. It details the story of Mole, Ratty, and Badger as they try to help Mr. Toad, after he becomes obsessed with motorcars and gets ...
by
Kenneth Grahame Kenneth Grahame ( ; 8 March 1859 – 6 July 1932) was a British writer born in Edinburgh, Scotland. He is most famous for ''The Wind in the Willows'' (1908), a classic of children's literature, as well as ''The Reluctant Dragon (short story), T ...
. This work was written by different band members, excluding singer and lyricist Jordan Dreyer. The style of each song has been described as the band was writing whatever they felt the moment they heard the lyrics. However, for the third installment in the series the band took Jordan Dreyer's own poetry and added instrumentation which fit the stories. The first installment foreshadowed many of the themes found on their debut album, ''Somewhere at the Bottom of the River''. The band stated that
Here, Hear III. ''Here, Hear III.'' is an EP by La Dispute, self-released on December 25, 2009. Unlike the previous two EPs in the series, ''Here, Hear III.'' was recorded in Brad Vander Lugt's basement. Release With the release of this extended play, the fir ...
would reflect influences on the following album, ''Wildlife''. ''Here, Hear IV'' has been put on hold by the band for them to concentrate on their third studio album. ''Thirteen'', the band's latest installment of the series was a single that was put out as a flexible 13-inch record in May 2016 to subscribers of La Dispute's monthly merchandise subscription series, and it was later released online for streaming.


Charity

The band often works with charitable organisations internationally. This includes Wellhouse and
826 National 826 National is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping students, ages 6–18, improve their expository and creative writing skills at eight locations across the United States. The chapters include 826 Valencia in San Francisco, 826NYC ...
in
Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...
,
Teenage Cancer Trust Teenage Cancer Trust is a cancer care and support charity in the UK that exists to improve the cancer experience of young people aged 13–24. Founded in 1990, the charity's key service is providing specialist teenage units in NHS hospitals. It ...
in the UK and
Headspace Headspace may refer to: *Headspace (company), an online healthcare company specializing in meditation *Headspace (organisation), an Australian non-profit organization for youth mental health *Headspace or ullage, the unfilled space in a container ...
in Australia. Every year on
Christmas Day Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year, ...
the band makes their entire catalogue of music available for free and asks for donations to a charity of their choosing.


Members

Current members * Jordan Dreyer – vocals, lyrics, percussion (2004–present) * Brad Vander Lugt – drums, backing vocals, percussion, keyboards (2004–present) * Chad Sterenberg – guitar, backing vocals, keyboards, programming, percussion, lap steel, mandolin, trumpet (2006–present) * Adam Vass – bass, backing vocals, additional guitars (2007–present) * Corey Stroffolino – guitar (2018–present; touring member 2014–2018) Former members * Derek Sterenberg – guitar, backing vocals (2004–2006) * Adam Kool – bass (2004–2007) * Kevin Whittemore – guitar, backing vocals (2004–2014) Timeline


Discography

Studio albums Soundtracks EPs *''
Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...
'' (2006, Friction Records) *''Untitled 7"'' (2008, No Sleep) *''
Here, Hear. ''Here, Hear.'' is an EP by La Dispute, released on May 15, 2008 through Forest Life Records. The extended play contains a series of spoken-word tracks that focus on combining pieces of pre-existing poetry and writings with a variety of instrume ...
'' (2008, Forest Life Records) *'' Here, Hear II.'' (2008, No Sleep) *''Winter Tour Holiday CD-R'' (2008, self-released) *''
Here, Hear III. ''Here, Hear III.'' is an EP by La Dispute, self-released on December 25, 2009. Unlike the previous two EPs in the series, ''Here, Hear III.'' was recorded in Brad Vander Lugt's basement. Release With the release of this extended play, the fir ...
'' (2009, No Sleep) *''
Searching for a Pulse/The Worth of the World ''Searching for a Pulse/The Worth of the World'' is a split EP between American post-hardcore bands Touché Amoré and La Dispute. It was released on July 27, 2010, through No Sleep Records. The EP was the first split release for both bands and ...
'' (split with
Touché Amoré Touché Amoré is an American post-hardcore band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 2007. The band consists of vocalist Jeremy Bolm, guitarists Clayton Stevens and Nick Steinhardt, bassist Tyler Kirby, and drummer Elliot Babin. Among other ...
)
(2010, No Sleep) *'' Never Come Undone'' (split with Koji) (2011, No Sleep) *''Conversations'' (2012, self-released) *''Maida Vale Session 2011'' (2014, self-released) *''Maida Vale Session 2014'' (2014, self-released) Singles *"Thirteen" (2016, Big Scary Monsters) *"ROSE QUARTZ / FULTON STREET I" (2018,
Epitaph Records Epitaph Records is an American independent record label owned by Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, most acts signed to the label were punk and pop punk acts, while there are many post-hardcore and emo bands ...
) DVDs *''Tiny Dots'' (2015, Better Living/
Big Scary Monsters Big Scary Monsters Recording Company (often known simply as Big Scary Monsters or BSM Records) is an independent record label based in Oxford, England, UK. Its releases include La Dispute, Beach Slang, Modern Baseball, Minus The Bear, mewit ...
) Music videos *"Such Small Hands" (2009) *"For Mayor in Splitsville" (2014) *"Woman (Reading)" (2014) *"ROSE QUARTZ / FULTON STREET I" (2018) *""FOOTSTEPS AT THE POND"" (2019) *"ANXIETY PANORAMA" (2019) Compilation contributions *"
Polly Polly is a given name, most often feminine, which originated as a variant of Molly (name), Molly (a diminutive of Mary (name), Mary). Polly may also be a short form of names such as Polina (given name), Polina, Polona (given name), Polona, Paula (g ...
" (
Nirvana ( , , ; sa, निर्वाण} ''nirvāṇa'' ; Pali: ''nibbāna''; Prakrit: ''ṇivvāṇa''; literally, "blown out", as in an oil lampRichard Gombrich, ''Theravada Buddhism: A Social History from Ancient Benāres to Modern Colombo.' ...
cover for ''
Whatever Nevermind ''Whatever Nevermind'' is a tribute album to Nirvana's 1991 second studio album, ''Nevermind'', by various artists. The album was released by Robotic Empire for Record Store Day on April 18, 2015 in vinyl and digital formats. Robotic Empire previo ...
'')
(2015, Robotic Empire)


References


External links

*
Blog
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dispute 2004 establishments in Michigan American post-hardcore musical groups American emo musical groups Emo revival groups American screamo musical groups American spoken word artists American experimental rock groups Punk rock groups from Michigan Hardcore punk groups from Michigan Progressive rock musical groups from Michigan Alternative rock groups from Michigan Indie rock musical groups from Michigan Rock music groups from Michigan No Sleep Records artists Musical groups from Michigan Musical groups from Grand Rapids, Michigan