ARTIST: Dear and the Headlights
TITLE: Small Steps, Heavy Hooves
LABEL: Equal Vision
GENRE: Indie
BITRATE: 190kbps avg
PLAYTIME: 0h 53m total
RELEASE DATE: 2007-02-06
RIP DATE: 2007-02-03
Track List
----------
1. Oh No! 4:14
2. Sweet Talk 2:57
3. Hallelujah 4:09
4. Happy in Love 3:45
5. I'm Bored, You're Amorous 4:00
6. Grace 4:02
7. It's Gettin' Easy 3:33
8. Paper Bag 3:53
9. Skinned Knees & Gapped Teeth 3:35
10. Run in the Front 4:22
11. Mother Make Me Golden 4:12
12. I Just Do 3:43
13. Midwestern Dirt 6:46
Release Notes:
In April 2006, Dear and the Headlights completed the recording of their debut
record, Small Steps, Heavy Hooves with local producer Bob Hoag (The Format,
Limbeck, Recover). Although Ian Metzger, PJ Waxman, Joel Marquard, Chuckie Duff
and Mark Kulvinskas had only started playing shows together under the Dear and
the Headlights name a year earlier, this first full-length recording had been a
long time in the making.
Ian, Joel and PJ had been playing music together for years in their bedrooms and
garages, not playing any shows, not solidifying a real rhythm section, not even
bothering to come up with a band name, just writing lots of songs. A call from a
friend, Chuckie Duff, and an offer to record a few demo songs seemed like a good
next step for the friends. Chuckie recorded, mixed and mastered three songs in
just a couple days. Some CD-R copies were made and given to friends, who all
responded with amazement. Despite that, there was continued trouble finding a
rhythm section and the boys decided shortly after the demos were recorded to
call it quits. Months later, Chuckie, who had become obsessed with the songs he
had helped record, called Joel, with the intent to convince everyone to get the
band back together. He offered to play bass, finance a full-length recording and
help find a drummer. Fate would have it that Ian, Joel and PJ had already
decided to get together and play some of the old songs that same day.
So, Dear and the Headlights was born, now all they needed to do was find a
drummer. After many failed try-outs, they found Mark Kulvinskas, thanks to an ad
they had placed on Craigslist. He learned nine songs in one practice and was in,
just in time for the bandÆs first show a couple weeks later. Things moved
quickly once the band started playing out. Immediately Dear and the Headlights
were opening for national acts like The Bravery, Matt Pond PA, Make/Believe,
Idlewild, The Hold Steady and more. Their demo recordings got great reviews in
respectable online publications including Music (for Robots) and Transform
Online. Local press also praised the young band, including the dubious
distinction of 944 MagazineÆs "Best Local Band YouÆve Never Heard." Dear and the
Headlights were quickly changing the "never heard" part. Along with playing
bigger and bigger shows, they continued to write and re-write songs for their
upcoming studio-time with local producer-extraordinaire, Bob Hoag.
So after just one year of being a band, Dear and the Headlights had a finished
LP. But even before the record was finished, the calls had already started
coming in. Record labels big and small were curious about this band with the
annoying name making noise out in Arizona. However, none of the interest turned
into any solid offers, and the band continued on a path toward self-release,
went on three self-booked tours during the summer and started planning the
release of their record.
Dear and the Headlights signed with Equal Vision Records in November of 2006.
Expect their debut album, Small Steps, Heavy Hooves to be available online and
in stores on February 6th, 2007.