Years active 1995–2006 Genres Indie rock, Slowcore, Emo | Website www.pedrothelion.com | |
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Origin Seattle, Washington, United States Past members See list of former members Members David Bazan, Tim Walsh, Ben Gibbard, Frank Lenz, Casey Wescott, Ken Maiuri, Brian Olson, Tim Schiefer Record labels Jade Tree, Suicide Squeeze Records, Tooth & Nail Records, Architecture Label Albums It's Hard to Find a Friend, Control, Winners Never Quit, Achilles Heel, The Only Reason I Feel Sec Profiles | ||
Pedro the Lion was an indie rock band from Seattle, Washington. David Bazan formed the band in 1995 and represented its main creative force, backed by a varying rotation of collaborating musicians. In 2006 Pedro the Lion was dissolved as Bazan went solo. Releasing four full-length albums and five EPs over 11 years, the band was known for its first person narrative lyrics with political and religious themes.
Contents
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Biography
Pedro the Lion was made by David Bazan in 1995 and released its debut EP Whole in April 1997. Bazan played nearly every instrument on the band's first two full-length albums, It's Hard to Find a Friend (1998), and Winners Never Quit (2000).
Winners marked Pedro the Lion's first concept album. After its completion, Bazan has claimed he initially decided not to continue writing concept albums. However, in the process of writing his next full-length Control, he realized he had inadvertently created a narrative link "about 70% of the way through [the album]" and decided to finish it in the same vein. The album's thematic content criticizes American capitalism, which Bazan notes was largely inspired by the sentiments surrounding the World Trade Organization protests in 1999.
Control also saw Casey Foubert of Seattle-based Seldom join Pedro the Lion to play bass on the album. Additionally, he co-wrote "Penetration" and "Second Best", the third and eighth tracks, respectively, on the album, which was released in 2002.
Achilles Heel followed, released on May 24, 2004, and marked the beginning of Bazan's partnership with TW Walsh as the band's primary writers and musicians. Bazan described the tracks in the third full-length from Pedro the Lion as a return to the songwriting characterized by Friend and the Secure EP in the sense that there was no "pretense of anything bigger", an allusion to his previous concept albums.
In early January 2006, Pedro the Lion formally announced that they had split. The split was amicable; Bazan and Walsh continue to be good friends. Bazan said that their friendship has even been strengthened by the breakup. Bazan toured in support of Fewer Moving Parts, his solo debut EP. Walsh returned to his career as a Web application developer and is busy with his band, The Soft Drugs, and their debut release, In Moderation. David Bazan released his debut solo LP, Curse Your Branches, on Seattle-based Barsuk Records in 2009.
The Pedro The Lion catalog was remastered for vinyl by TW Walsh and reissued in 2012.
Bazan is a member of Overseas with Will Johnson of Centro-matic and Bubba & Matt Kadane of Bedhead and The New Year. Their self-titled debut album was released on June 11, 2013.
Albums
EPs
Compilations
Singles
The band released various 45 rpm singles in limited quantities:
See also: David Bazan discography, Headphones discography
Soundtracks
Songs
Big TrucksIt's Hard to Find a Friend · 1998
Bad Diary DaysIt's Hard to Find a Friend · 1998
Bands With ManagersAchilles Heel · 2004