Dance Gavin Dance

Volatile post-hardcore outfit Dance Gavin Dance deliver thrashing, emo-leaning anthems performed over the years by a frequently shifting lineup anchored by stalwarts Will Swan (lead guitar, vocals) and Matt Mingus (drums). Signed to Rise Records since their 2006 debut, the Sacramento-based band steadily climbed the charts over a series of albums and mainstream success found them in the mid-2010s. Ten years into their career, 2016′s Mothership landed at number 13 on the Billboard 200 with its 2018 follow-up, Artificial Selection, performing nearly as well at number 15. Dance Gavin Dance headed into their next decade with 2020′s Afterburner and, following more lineup changes, 2022′s Jackpot Juicer.
Formed in 2005, the band originally comprised vocalists Jonny Craig and Jonathan Mess, guitarists Will Swan and Sean O'Sullivan, bassist Eric Lodge, and drummer Matt Mingus. Based on their self-released debut EP Whatever I Say Is Royal Ocean, Dance Gavin Dance signed with Rise Records in 2006 who then remastered and re-released the EP. Their first full-length, Downtown Battle Mountain, arrived the next year featuring production Kris Crummett who would go on to become a frequent collaborator with the band. Before releasing their self-titled sophomore follow-up in 2008, Craig left the band and was briefly replaced by Kurt Travis. Mess and Lodge also parted ways with the band, with Swan taking over screaming vocals and Jason Ellis as the new bassist. Happiness, their third album, was released in 2009. The lineup changes continued the next year, with Mess and Lodge returning; they brought along guitarist Josh Benton. Jonny Craig returned for a moment, relieving Travis of his vocal duties. That incarnation of the band released Downtown Battle Mountain II, the sequel to their debut. The reunion wouldn’t last long, however, as Craig split yet again in 2012. Tilian Pearson (ex-Tides of Man) was brought on in 2013, just in time for their fifth album, Acceptance Speech. By this point Tim Feerick had become the band’s full-time bassist.
During this tumultuous period, Dance Gavin Dance maintained a steady ascent of the Billboard charts and their sixth album, 2015′s Instant Gratification, made it all the way to number 32. This set the table for a successful tenth anniversary tour later that year. 2016 brought their second live album, Tree City Sessions, which included material from each of their six albums and marked the return of Josh Benton on guitar and production duties. A few months later, Dance Gavin Dance’s seventh LP, Mothership, debuted at 13 on the Billboard 200. Now working with a steady lineup, the group recorded their eighth album, Artificial Selection, in 2018. The effort featured singles “Son of a Robot” and “Care,” as well as guest vocalists Andrew Wells (“Evaporate”) and former bandmate Travis (“Shelf Life”). They followed this with a remastered instrumental re-release of their 2013 album, packaged as Acceptance Speech 2.0. However, it wasn’t long before they were recording more original material, which surfaced in the form of their tenth studio album, Afterburner; the record saw a number of returning guests, including Wells, Strawberry Girls’ Zachary Garren, and Veil of Maya’s Marc Okubo. They also released a follow-up to their 2016 live album in Tree City Sessions 2. Wells, who had served as a guest and touring member, was officially inducted into the band in 2021. During the tumultuous front half of 2022, Dance Gavin Dance endured the departure of vocalist and the sudden death of bassist Tim Feerick. Both appeared on the band’s tenth album, Jackpot Juicer, when it was released in July. ~ Corey Apar & Neil Z. Yeung