Dashboard Confessional | |
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 Dashboard Confessional performing at Carling Leeds Festival in 2006 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Boca Raton, Florida, U.S. |
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| Website | dashboardconfessional |
Dashboard Confessional is an Americanemo band fromBoca Raton, Florida, formed in 1999 and led by singerChris Carrabba.[1] The name of the band is derived from the song "The Sharp Hint of New Tears" off their debut album,The Swiss Army Romance.
Dashboard Confessional's first recording was the 2000 albumThe Swiss Army Romance, initially a solo side project of Chris Carrabba while he was in the bandFurther Seems Forever. The following year,Further Seems Forever, withChris Carrabba, recorded its debut album,The Moon Is Down. Carrabba left the band before the album was released[2] to record and release his second solo album,The Places You Have Come to Fear the Most, and a follow-up EP,So Impossible; both were released under the name Dashboard Confessional.
By 2002, three other musicians had joined Dashboard Confessional. After the success of his second album, Carrabba was asked to perform onMTV Unplugged, and the subsequentlive release marked the first time many of the songs were recorded with a full band. Also in 2002, the music video for "Screaming Infidelities" won the MTV2 award at theMTV Video Music Awards, beating outNorah Jones,The Strokes,The Hives,Nappy Roots, andMusiq.[3][4] This video starred Carrabba in both the performance and the storyline. The video was directed byMaureen Egan and Matthew Barry.[5][6]
In 2003, Dashboard Confessional released its third album,A Mark, a Mission, a Brand, a Scar. Peaking at No. 2 on the United StatesBillboard charts, the album proved to be the band's most commercially viable album yet. In the fall of 2003, Dashboard Confessional toured withBrand New.[7][8][9]
In the summer of 2004, Dashboard Confessional recorded the song "Vindicated" for the filmSpider-Man 2. It was featured on the soundtrack and played over the film's end credits.[10][11][12][13] Due to such usage, the band gained a sizable audience for their next release the following summer,Dusk and Summer. "Vindicated" was not, however, released onA Mark, a Mission, a Brand, a Scar but was included on most versions and deluxe edition versions ofDusk and Summer.[14]
In May 2005, Dashboard Confessional entered the studio to record their fourth album with producerDaniel Lanois. The album,Dusk and Summer, was released on June 27, 2006; its first single was "Don't Wait". Following the release ofDusk and Summer, Dashboard Confessional went on a summer tour of the U.S. with special guestsSay Anything andBen Lee,[15] followed by co-headlining an arena tour withBrand New.[8]
In 2007, Dashboard Confessional released its follow-up toDusk and Summer,The Shade of Poison Trees. Unlike its predecessor, this album reflects back on the earlier influence of Carrabba's acoustic harmonies fromThe Swiss Army Romance andThe Places You Have Come to Fear the Most.
Dashboard Confessional began recording their sixth studio album,Alter the Ending, in 2008. Carrabba stated that the album could have turned into a concept album:[16]
... only with the last three has it become, like, "All right, these have a continuity, and there's something going on", so I'm excited to see where that leads.
On February 14, 2009, as a specialValentine's Day gift to fans, Carrabba released a free download on hisMySpace page entitled "Even Now (Acoustic Version)" from their forthcoming studio album.[17] In June 2009, the band began "sequencing the album," suggesting that the upcoming album was close to completion.
In August 2009, Dashboard Confessional contributed a song to the motion picture soundtrack for thedark comedy filmJennifer's Body, titled "Finishing School."[18] It was not featured onAlter the Ending.
On September 10, 2009, Chris Carrabba confirmed on hisTwitter page that the 12-song album would be released on November 10, 2009. It was found out that the album would be released on two discs, the first of which consisted of the full-band version of the album and the second consisted of the acoustic version. In addition, Carrabba stated that Dashboard Confessional would be touring withNew Found Glory andNever Shout Never in the near future.[19][20] On October 30, 2009, however, Carrabba announced via Twitter andFacebook that, due to a last-minute family emergency, the band would be cancelling theirAlter the Ending tour with New Found Glory and Never Shout Never with the exception of a November 7 concert with theLouisville Orchestra. Although the longer tour with New Found Glory and Never Shout Never was cancelled, Carrabba announced on his website on November 10, 2009, that he and John Lefler would begin a 13-date acoustic tour with New Found Glory (who played acoustic sets as well) on November 30, 2009.
Dashboard Confessional performed as the opening act for theBon JoviCircle Tour in 2010.[21][22] On July 31, 2010, Carrabba performed at the top ofPikes Peak in Colorado for the second annual Love Hope Strength Foundation and Health ONE Pikes Peak Rocks benefit, honoring cancer survivors and raising money and awareness for research and treatment.[23]
On October 4, 2010, it was announced that Dashboard Confessional's first album,The Swiss Army Romance, would be re-released as a deluxe vinyl album on November 16.[24] The limited edition box set (only 1,000 copies available) included remastered versions of the album's track listing, extended artwork, handwritten lyrics, unreleased photos, guitar picks, and a commemorative tour laminate, all encased in an intricate Swiss army knife case.[24] The day after the release, Carrabba embarked on a solo tour playingThe Swiss Army Romance in its entirety for the tenth anniversary of the release of the album.[25][24] On December 1, it was announced thatChris Conley ofSaves the Day was added to the tour as main support for the West Coast dates. Three-piece bandLady Danville joined them as well.
After the release ofAlter the Ending, Chris Carrabba spent the next few years pursuing many different avenues. In 2011, Chris releasedCovered in the Flood, a solo album containing covers of other artists. Chris spent the subsequent years touring, working on some of his side musical projects, collaborating with other bands and exploring other creative pursuits such as painting and designing clothes.[26]
In an interview withMTV News on October 6, 2017, Chris Carrabba announced that Dashboard Confessional's seventh studio album was in the works.[27] On November 15, it was announced that the group's next album,Crooked Shadows, would be released on February 9, 2018,[28] throughFueled by Ramen.[29]
In 2019 Dashboard Confessional released re-recordings ofDusk and Summer,Alter the Ending, andA Mark, a Mission, a Brand, a Scar under a triple LP titledNow Is Then Is Now.[30]
In 2020, Carrabba and his band started a 20th anniversary tour celebrating the band's beginning. The band in the anniversary tour played selected songs from the albumsThe Places You Have Come to Fear the Most andA Mark, A Mission, A Brand, A Scar. On January 31, 2020, a greatest hits album was released as part of the 20th anniversary titledThe Best Ones of the Best Ones.[31] The anniversary tour was cut short due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.[32]
Following Carrabba's recovery from a major motorcycle accident in 2020, Dashboard Confessional released a pre-recorded stream show titledLonely Hearts & Lovers on February 14, 2021. They played a 19-song set, shot in Riverside Revival Church in Nashville, Tennessee, in 4K ultra HD.[33] In February 2022, another Valentine's stream was announced. This show was shot in gardens in Southern California, and they played 12 songs.[34]
In February 2022 Dashboard Confessional released their ninth studio album,All The Truth That I Can Tell.[35] Dashboard Confessional and Jimmy Eat World began their 'Surviving the Truth Tour' on February 27, 2022.[36] In early April 2022, Dashboard Confessional announced the Hello Gone Days co-headlining tour withAndrew McMahon In The Wilderness, to kick off on July 31 and last through September 7. Opening acts includedCartel,The Juliana Theory, andArmor for Sleep.[37] Former memberJohn Lefler filled in for Armon Jay for the Dallas show of the tour.
Dashboard Confessional toured the United States with theCounting Crows on the Banshee Season Tour in the summer of 2023.[38]
Dashboard Confessional's style isemo[39][40][41][42] that takes the sound ofalternative rock,[43]indie rock[40] andacoustic rock.[42] Dashboard Confessional's influences includeFugazi,Minor Threat,Descendents,Guy Clark,the Beach Boys,[44]Bruce Springsteen,Superchunk,[45]the Cure,Jawbreaker,R.E.M.,Operation Ivy,the Smiths,Counting Crows,Morrissey,Paul Simon,Steve Earle,Green Day,Elvis Costello,the Promise Ring,Sunny Day Real Estate,Mineral,[46]Sick of It All, andWeezer.
The band's early releases are described as "vulnerable, introspective solo musings." The lyrics have been described as "soul-baring."[47]
Current[edit]
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John C. Lefler (born March 18, 1975) is an American songwriter, singer, guitarist, and pianist. He is a former member of Dashboard Confessional.[48] Lefler has a been an freelance graphic designer since 2012.[49][non-primary source needed]
Lefler is fromSugar Land, Texas. He attended Dulles High School and graduated high school in 1993. He attended theUniversity of Texas at Austin and graduated in 1997 with a degree in fine art. Lefler started playing guitar in 1989 and piano shortly thereafter. His first instrument was a PVT-60 which his father had purchased from a pawn shop.[50] He started writing songs when he was about 18 years old, after seeing theJohn Lennon bio-pic,Imagine. Lefler had piano lessons for a few months while in high school. "My recital piece wasBruce Hornsby's "The Way It Is". It was terrible. I've never had another lesson (or recital) of any kind since."[citation needed] When describing his piano technique, he stated, "I tend to play the piano with my fists more than anything."[51]
Lefler joined Dashboard Confessional in 2002 after having flown out to meet the rest of the band in Florida. In less than two weeks, Lefler made his first official appearance as a Dashboard Confessional member on theMTV Unplugged recording.[52] He left on his own accord after the band's hiatus began in 2010.[53][54]
In 2005, Lefler and his brothers Bill and Kevin formed an alternative-country band called The Wimbledons in Los Angeles, California. After much infighting between the brothers, the band completedThe Wimbledons EP on Lefler's own label, Goodhang Records.[55] Being influenced by bands likeJellyfish,Ben Folds,Crowded House,The Police,The Beatles, andU2, Lefler releasedBetter By Design in June 2009.[56]Better By Design was co-produced by Lefler, along with friendsSalim Nourallah and Rip Rowan. In 2012, he released his second EP,Shoutfire.[57] It was produced by his brother Bill.[58] Lefler began playing in ayacht rock tribute group Captain and Camille after a 70's night at Opening Bell Coffee.[59] He formed the cover group with his friend Camille Cortinas as well as seven local Dallas musicians.[60]
Studio albums
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