The Dear Hunter is an American
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. In ...
band originating in Providence, Rhode Island. It began as a side project of
Casey Crescenzo
Casey Crescenzo (born December 19, 1983) is a singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist most notable for being the singer for the bands The Dear Hunter and The Receiving End of Sirens. He is also a producer who has worked with many other ...
when he was a member of
the Receiving End of Sirens
The Receiving End of Sirens was an American rock band from Belchertown, Massachusetts, United States. Formed in 2003, the band broke up in 2008 then briefly reunited in 2010. On February 18, 2020, the band announced a brief reunion tour.
Over ...
, before becoming his main band in 2006. The band's sound features a wide variety of instruments and styles.
Most of the band's albums, starting with their 2006 debut album ''
Act I: The Lake South, the River North'', are
concept albums and a part of a common storyline, planned to conclude with a sixth installment. The most recent addition is 2016's ''
Act V: Hymns with the Devil in Confessional''. Additionally, they have released albums unrelated to the Acts; ''
The Color Spectrum
''The Color Spectrum'' is the name of both the fourth studio album by American progressive rock band The Dear Hunter, and a series of nine EPs by the band of which each reflects an individual color of the visible color spectrum (namely Black, ...
'' in 2011, ''
Migrant'' in 2013, the EP ''
All Is as All Should Be
''All Is as All Should Be'' is an EP by American progressive rock band The Dear Hunter, released on December 1, 2017 via Cave and Canary Goods.
The official announcement was made on the band's social networks and website, where Casey thanked t ...
'' in 2017, and the most recent release being the album ''Antimai'' in 2022.
History
Origins
The band began as a side project of Casey Crescenzo when he was a full-time member of the Receiving End of Sirens. The Dear Hunter was originally intended as a vehicle for music Crescenzo had written that did not fit with the sound of the Receiving End of Sirens. Crescenzo affirmed that:
In the winter of 2005 Casey recorded the ''
Dear Ms. Leading'' demos. He created 10 copies on burned CDs that were circulated amongst his friends and posted online for download. While elements and characters featured on the demos would reappear on the subsequent ''Acts'', Crescenzo has confirmed that there was a transformation in how he represented these themes and persons; while the story had its origins in his personal life, the ''Acts'' removed most autobiographical elements in favor of fiction:
''Act I: The Lake South, The River North'' (2007)
In May 2006, Casey was "asked to leave" the Receiving End of Sirens
and began working on the Dear Hunter's first studio album. He expanded the scope of the project to a six-album
story set at the dawn of the 20th century. The story revolved around the birth, life, and abrupt death of a boy known only as "The Dear Hunter." Crescenzo later remarked that the protagonist is "not a hero at all. I do not think he does a single good thing or smart thing in any of the stories."
As Crescenzo summarized,
For Crescenzo, the decision to begin the story at the beginning of the 20th century was consciously chosen due to the events that would unfold in future acts:
In a 2007 interview, Casey stated at that time that he had the overall story of the Dear Hunter mapped out.
Casey produced and recorded the EP by himself with the assistance of his brother on drums and mother on backing vocals. ''
Act I: The Lake South, The River North'' was released in September 2006 on
Triple Crown Records
Triple Crown Records is a New York-based rock music record label created in 1997 by Fred Feldman. The label features such artists as The Receiving End of Sirens and The Dear Hunter, ''Artists Page'' and launched the career of Brand New in 2001.> ...
.
Shortly after the release of ''Act I'', Casey recruited Luke Dent of the recently split band Faraway for vocals and keyboards and Erick Serna as a second guitarist. Luke brought in his brother Sam on drums and Erick brought long-time friend Josh Rheault in to play bass. The band entered the studio in late 2006 to record the follow-up to ''Act I''. Recording finished in early 2007, during which time, the band was featured in
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 ...
' "100 Bands You Need to Know in 2007."
''Act II: The Meaning of, and All Things Regarding Ms. Leading'' (2007)
''
Act II: The Meaning of, and All Things Regarding Ms. Leading'' was released May 22, 2007. Originally, the band had written almost 2 hours of music for the album, but managed to trim the run time down to 80 minutes so as to fit on a single compact disc.
''Act II'' reached No. 39 on the
Billboard Heatseekers chart. The band supported the album by touring with
As Tall As Lions
As Tall As Lions were an indie rock band from Long Island, New York.
History
High school friends Dan Nigro (lead vocals & guitars), Saen Fitzgerald (guitar, keyboards, & percussion), Brian Fortune (guitars & keyboards) and Cliff Sarcona (drums ...
,
Saves the Day
Saves the Day is an American rock band from Princeton, New Jersey, formed in 1997. The band currently consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Chris Conley, guitarist Arun Bali, and bassist Rodrigo Palma.
After forming under the name Sefler i ...
,
Say Anything Say Anything may refer to:
Film and television
* '' Say Anything...'', a 1989 American film by Cameron Crowe
* "Say Anything" (''BoJack Horseman''), a television episode
Music
* Say Anything (band), an American rock band
** ''Say Anything'' (alb ...
,
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 ...
,
Chris Conley
Christopher Lane Conley (born February 29, 1980) is an American musician who is the lead-singer/rhythm guitarist of the rock band Saves the Day. He was the only remaining original member as well as major artistic contributor throughout their car ...
,
The Format
The Format is an American indie rock band formed by Nate Ruess and Sam Means. Their style can be considered a mixture of indie, alternative, punk and folk music, with elements of 1960s and 1970s pop music. Though Means and Ruess are the foremost ...
,
Scary Kids Scaring Kids
Scary Kids Scaring Kids (abbreviated SKSK) is an American post-hardcore band formed in Gilbert, Arizona, United States, in 2002.
The band's name was taken from the Cap'n Jazz song of the same name. They released two studio albums ''The City Sle ...
,
Boys Night Out,
Circa Survive
Circa Survive is an American rock band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that formed in 2004. The band, led and founded by Anthony Green, consisted of former members from This Day Forward and Taken.
Circa Survive quickly made a name for the ...
,
Ours
One Union of Regional Staff (OURS) was a trade union in the United Kingdom.
The union was formed in early 2010 by the merger of the Derbyshire Group Staff Union and the Cheshire Group Staff Union. It organises former Derbyshire Building Soc ...
, and
Fear Before the March of Flames
Fear Before (formerly known as Fear Before the March of Flames) is an experimental rock band formed in Aurora, Colorado. As stated on their Alternative Press podcast, their name originates from a Denver Post newspaper headline about the 2002 H ...
.
The band filmed a music video for the song "The Church and the Dime". A book based on the story of ''Act II'' was released as part of the deluxe edition of ''Act III: Life and Death''. Artist Kent St. John was selected to do the illustrations.
Prior to a string of dates with
Circa Survive
Circa Survive is an American rock band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that formed in 2004. The band, led and founded by Anthony Green, consisted of former members from This Day Forward and Taken.
Circa Survive quickly made a name for the ...
, Josh Rheault and brothers Sam and Luke Dent left the band. Temporary replacements for the tour dates included Cliff Sarcona and Julio Tavarez of
As Tall As Lions
As Tall As Lions were an indie rock band from Long Island, New York.
History
High school friends Dan Nigro (lead vocals & guitars), Saen Fitzgerald (guitar, keyboards, & percussion), Brian Fortune (guitars & keyboards) and Cliff Sarcona (drums ...
(drums and bass, respectively), Christopher Tagliaferro of Tiger Riot (bass), and Andy Wildrick of
the Junior Varsity
The Junior Varsity is an American emo alternative rock band from Central Illinois.
Biography
Formed in 2002 by current guitarist Andy Wildrick, the band succeeded another local band called Winner Takes All; several songs written during that tim ...
(guitar/keys). Wildrick later joined the band as a permanent member, along with Sagan Jacobson of Crown Atlantic on bass and Casey's brother Nick on drums.
The Dear Hunter embarked on their first headlining tour in mid-2008 with
Lydia,
Eye Alaska
Eye Alaska was an American rock band from Orange County, California, formed in 2006. Two members, Brandon Wronski and Cameron Trowbridge, were former members of Dead Letter Diaries.
Eye Alaska signed to Fearless Records in February 2008, and ...
, and
You, Me, and Everyone We Know. On December 9, 2008, it was announced that Nate Patterson, Casey's former bandmate in the Receiving End of Sirens, would begin playing bass for the band, as Sagan Jacobson had left.
''Act III: Life and Death'' (2009)
After the headlining tour, the Dear Hunter entered the studio to record ''
Act III: Life and Death''.
["Act III release date."](_blank)
Absolutepunk.net. April 5, 2009. During this time, former bassist Josh Rheault announced on tour that he had rejoined the Dear Hunter on acoustic guitar, backing vocals, and keyboards. ''Act III'' was released on June 23, 2009 on
Triple Crown Records
Triple Crown Records is a New York-based rock music record label created in 1997 by Fred Feldman. The label features such artists as The Receiving End of Sirens and The Dear Hunter, ''Artists Page'' and launched the career of Brand New in 2001.> ...
.
''The Color Spectrum'' (2011)
Between the release of ''Act II'' and ''Act III'', Crescenzo was also conceiving a multi-album arc related to the color spectrum.
On April 23, 2010, Crescenzo announced that the Dear Hunter would take a break from the ''Acts'' project to focus on this concept. He also stated that ''Act IV'' would most likely not be seen for quite some time. He later announced that the project, titled ''
The Color Spectrum
''The Color Spectrum'' is the name of both the fourth studio album by American progressive rock band The Dear Hunter, and a series of nine EPs by the band of which each reflects an individual color of the visible color spectrum (namely Black, ...
'', would consist of nine EPs, each corresponding to a certain color (specifically, Black, Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet and White).
On February 24, 2011, Alternative Press announced the EPs would be released in multiple formats, including a physical CD containing select tracks from each of the EPs. At some point prior to the completion of ''The Color Spectrum'', Josh Rheault and Erick Serna both left the band to pursue their respective musical projects. Subsequent to the release of ''The Color Spectrum'', the Dear Hunter performed the entire three-hour set of EPs in a single show and released it as a DVD, entitled ''The Color Spectrum DVD''.
''Migrant'' (2013)
The Dear Hunter went in to the studio in 2012 with producer Mike Watts to record ''
Migrant'', the first album under Crescenzo's new imprint label, Cave & Canary Goods, which is a unit of
Equal Vision Records
Equal Vision Records is an independent record label based in Albany, New York. It was founded in the early 1990s by Ray Cappo, singer for the punk bands Youth of Today, Shelter, and Better Than a Thousand.
The label originally existed solel ...
. Prior to recording the album, Crescenzo expressed his excitement over working with Watts and further noted that
''Migrant'' represents another deferral of the next ''Act'' record, a consideration that Crescenzo weighed before moving forward.
''Migrant'', which is the first album released by the Dear Hunter that does not have a concept,
was released on April 2, 2013. Crescenzo remarked that the non-conceptual nature of ''Migrant'' presented a new challenge: "I've been in the rhythm of writing conceptually. It’s a challenge for me to be more transparent and more honest and more directly from the heart and not filtering it through something. So I think that was really exciting; it was really refreshing."
Remarking on the less rock-oriented and relatively streamlined nature of ''Migrant'', Crescenzo noted that:
''Act IV: Rebirth in Reprise'' (2015)
On March 3, 2015 Casey Crescenzo announced that ''
Act IV: Rebirth in Reprise'' was well underway and should be released by the end of 2015. This was announced in conjunction with the Dear Hunter's live album that was released the same day. The live album, ''The Dear Hunter – Live'', features songs from the string quartet tour from mid-2013.
On June 16, the single "A Night on the Town" became available for streaming on the band's official website, and the album became available for preorder. On the preorder form, the release date of the album was said to be September 4, 2015. The album debuted at No. 39 on the
''Billboard'' 200 selling approximately 7,000 copies, both career highs for the band. The Dear Hunter then embarked on a Fall US Tour with bands
CHON
CHON is a mnemonic acronym for the four most common elements in living organisms: carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen.
The acronym CHNOPS, which stands for ''c''arbon, ''h''ydrogen, ''n''itrogen, ''o''xygen, ''p''hosphorus, ''s''ulfur, r ...
and
Gates
Gates is the plural of gate, a point of entry to a space which is enclosed by walls. It may also refer to:
People
* Gates (surname), various people with the last name
* Gates Brown (1939-2013), American Major League Baseball player
* Gates McFadde ...
.
''Act V: Hymns with the Devil in Confessional'' (2016)
On June 22, 2016 Casey Crescenzo announced via Facebook that ''
Act V: Hymns with the Devil in Confessional'' was set for a September 9, 2016 release. The album debuted at #48 on the US
Billboard 200
The ''Billboard'' 200 is a record chart ranking the 200 most popular music albums and EPs in the United States. It is published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine and is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of ar ...
and #6 on the Independent Albums chart, becoming their 2nd best charting success so far. The band embarked on a month-long North American tour with
Gavin Castleton
Gavin Castleton is a musician/songwriter/producer from Providence, Rhode Island. Originally known for his work with Gruvis Malt as keyboardist and singer, Castleton has released nine full-length albums and seven EPs as a solo artist. He has als ...
and
Eisley
Eisley is an American rock band from Tyler, Texas, originally consisting of siblings Sherri DuPree, Chauntelle DuPree, Stacy DuPree and Weston DuPree. Remaining recording/touring members are their sister Sherri DuPree-Bemis and their cousin Gar ...
in late September, finishing with a show in San Francisco accompanied by Awesöme Orchestra. The show focused mainly on Act IV and V and a few tracks off the first Acts. In an interview with
Pop Matters
''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, fil ...
, Casey announced the next Dear Hunter record will be unrelated to the Acts.
''All Is as All Should Be'' (2017)
On September 12, 2017, the Dear Hunter announced a headlining tour with
the Family Crest and Vava. On September 13, the Dear Hunter announced a six track EP titled ''
All Is as All Should Be
''All Is as All Should Be'' is an EP by American progressive rock band The Dear Hunter, released on December 1, 2017 via Cave and Canary Goods.
The official announcement was made on the band's social networks and website, where Casey thanked t ...
''. It was released on December 1, 2017 through Cave And Canary Goods.
''The Fox and the Hunt'' (2020)
On February 14, 2020, the Dear Hunter released an orchestral LP in collaboration with composer Brian Adam McCune and San Francisco-based group Awesöme Orchestra through Cave and Canary Goods. The Fox and the Hunt repurposes and expands upon orchestral parts recorded for Act IV and Act V into a fully realized instrumental album.
Departure of Castleton, ''The Indigo Child'', and ''S.S. Neverender'' (2021)
On June 12, 2021, Gavin Castleton announced his departure from the band via their Pillar account (a subscription-based online community in which the band actively participates). Castleton cited being at a point in his life that he cannot "
ontributethe appropriate time, energy and focus" that the "many amazing and ambitious TDH events and releases" would require. He also stated these events and releases were "on the near horizon." The band wished Castleton well in the same post.
On October 13, 2021, the Dear Hunter announced an upcoming event for their next release "The Indigo Child" set for October 22, 2021, on their Instagram and Facebook pages.
On October 25–29, 2021, the Dear Hunter (along with touring keyboardist Aiden Earley) took part on the S.S. Neverender cruise along with Coheed and Cambria and many other bands.
''Antimai'' (2022–)
On February 4, 2022, the Dear Hunter announced an upcoming American tour with special guests
The World Is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die
The World Is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die is an American indie rock band formed in Willimantic, Connecticut, in 2009. Following the release of several EPs and Split album, splits featuring original lead singer Thomas Diaz, t ...
, & Tanner Merritt of
O'Brother
O'Brother is an American rock band from Atlanta, Georgia. After releasing their debut EP, ''In Comparison to Me'', in 2006, Aaron Wamack and Tanner Merritt joined the band in 2008. A second EP, ''The Death of Day'' was released on May 5, 2009 by ...
.
On July 1, 2022, they released their eighth studio album ''Antimai'' through Cave and Canary. The album is the first record in the band's sci-fi/fantasy-themed "Indigo Child" saga, introducing the titular city, and its geographical and social structure on a fictional world. A follow-up album, ''Sunya'' is currently rumored to be out sometime Spring 2023.
Members
Current
*
Casey Crescenzo
Casey Crescenzo (born December 19, 1983) is a singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist most notable for being the singer for the bands The Dear Hunter and The Receiving End of Sirens. He is also a producer who has worked with many other ...
– lead vocals, guitar,
organ (2004–present), bass
(2004–2007, 2010–2011)
* Nick Crescenzo – drums, percussion, backing vocals
(2006, 2007–present)
* Maxwell Tousseau – guitar, keyboards, percussion, backing vocals
(2010–present)
* Robert Parr – guitar, keyboards, backing vocals
(2011–present)
* Nick Sollecito – bass, fancy dances
(2011–present)
Touring
* Aiden Earley - keyboards
(2021)
Former
* Erick Serna – guitar, backing vocals
(2006–2011)
* Luke Dent – keyboard, guitar, percussion, backing vocals
(2006–2007)
* Sam Dent – drums
(2006–2007)
* Josh Rheault – guitar, keyboards, backing vocals
(2007, 2009–2011)
* Andy Wildrick – guitar, keyboards, backing vocals
(2007–2010)
* Sagan Jacobson – bass, backing vocals
(2007–2008)
* Nate Patterson – bass, backing vocals
(2008–2010)
* Connor Doyle – guitar
(2010–2013)
* Andrew Brown – keyboards, backing vocals
(2015–2016)
*
Gavin Castleton
Gavin Castleton is a musician/songwriter/producer from Providence, Rhode Island. Originally known for his work with Gruvis Malt as keyboardist and singer, Castleton has released nine full-length albums and seven EPs as a solo artist. He has als ...
– keyboards, backing vocals
(2016–2021)
Timeline
Discography
Demos
* ''Dear Ms. Leading'' (2004)
Studio albums
* ''
Act I: The Lake South, the River North'' (2006)
* ''
Act II: The Meaning of, and All Things Regarding Ms. Leading'' (2007)
* ''
Act III: Life and Death'' (2009)
* ''
The Color Spectrum
''The Color Spectrum'' is the name of both the fourth studio album by American progressive rock band The Dear Hunter, and a series of nine EPs by the band of which each reflects an individual color of the visible color spectrum (namely Black, ...
'' (2011)
* ''
Migrant'' (2013)
* ''
Act IV: Rebirth in Reprise'' (2015)
* ''
Act V: Hymns with the Devil in Confessional'' (2016)
* ''The Fox and the Hunt'' (orchestral LP performed by Awesöme Orchestra, 2019)
* ''Antimai'' (2022)
* ''Sunya'' (2023)
Live
* ''
The Color Spectrum – Live'' (2013)
* ''The Dear Hunter – Live'' (2015)
EPs
* ''Random EP No. 1'' (2007)
* ''Random EP No. 2'' (2008)
* ''
The Branches EP
''The Branches EP'' is the fourth and digital-only EP released by The Dear Hunter. It was an exclusive release for the limited edition "Lifetime Fan Club Package" granted to 250 people. An official or physical release is unknown at this time, bu ...
'' (2010)
* ''
Black EP'' (2011)
* ''
Red EP'' (2011)
* ''
Orange EP'' (2011)
* ''
Yellow EP'' (2011)
* ''
Green EP'' (2011)
* ''
Blue EP'' (2011)
* ''
Indigo EP'' (2011)
* ''
Violet EP'' (2011)
* ''
White EP'' (2011)
* ''
The Migrations Annex
''Migrant'' is the fifth studio album by The Dear Hunter
The Dear Hunter is an American progressive rock band originating in Providence, Rhode Island. It began as a side project of Casey Crescenzo when he was a member of the Receiving End ...
'' (2013)
* ''
All Is as All Should Be
''All Is as All Should Be'' is an EP by American progressive rock band The Dear Hunter, released on December 1, 2017 via Cave and Canary Goods.
The official announcement was made on the band's social networks and website, where Casey thanked t ...
'' (2017)
* ''The Indigo Child'' (2021)
References
External links
*
Lake and the River (The Dear Hunter Fansite)Cave & Canary Goods website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dear Hunter, The
American post-hardcore musical groups
Alternative rock groups from Rhode Island
Musical groups established in 2005
Triple Crown Records artists
Musical groups from Rhode Island
Equal Vision Records artists