The four-piece classically trained powerhouse that is Distant Lights came together through a passion for art and sound that transcends that of most traditional rock bands. Based in Austin, TX, these four musicians share a fervor for the science behind their music, exploring the idea that music is the simple resonance of sound picked up by our inner ears. These sounds make unique patterns that echo those found in the natural world. Distant Lights are among the harbingers of this musical science, and their fascination and pursuit of these beautiful forms is what captivates audiences from the first moment their music hits the ear. Both haunting and powerful, this foursome combines equal parts science, artistry, curiosity, and tenacity to convey a truly magnetic passion for songwriting and live performances.
With their lush sound, they balance beautifully between rock and performance art, pop and metal, creating both calm and chaos at the same time. While their music is exquisite, the band’s rock shows are even more thrilling, with a display of dazzling lights, lasers, video projections, and holograms. They are just as compelling on the acoustic stage, creating an experience that is both passionate and real.
Their latest release, Beneath the Waves, is the culmination of their fascination for the often harmonious and sometimes tumultuous relationship between musical expression and the natural world. From the title track, which conveys our tenuous and complicated relationship with our planet to “My Head and My Heart,” a beautiful song about faith, mortality, and the will to go on in the face of adversity, these songs explore the complicated relationship between man and nature.
Despite some incredible professional and personal challenges, including band member changes, illness, losing their van in a fire, and the loss of their principal investor who promised them the world and then disappeared, Distant Lights have emerged stronger and brighter than ever. True to their name, they continue to pursue their dreams to the fullest. In the past nine years, they have released three studio albums, including the lauded Not Thinking Not Dreaming, been selected as an Austin Music Foundation Artist of the Month, a Texas Buzz artist, and a Modern Rock Review Top 5 Pick. They have had radio play on KLBJ and 101X, been featured in the Austin Chronicle, and shared the stage with such acts as Nothing More, Tantric, Hurt, and Marcy Playground. In 2013 Distant Lights was selected to perform at the Dallas International Guitar Festival and have consistently headlined many of the top stages in the region. They've also charted #1/#2/#5 on CMJ 200 adds, been nominated for "Best Rock" in Houston in the 94.5 FM Buzz Awards, and won the Austin Chronicle Sound Wars Competition. They’ve been featured on KLBJ’s “Local Licks with Loris Lowe” numerous times, and and are slated to work with Award winning Producer Johnny Marshall (Grand Jury Prize for Sound Design for "Upstream Color" - 2013 Sundance Film Festival) on their next project.
While Distant Lights has been favorably compared to the likes of A Perfect Circle, Radiohead, Incubus, and Muse, they continue to develop new mediums in which to engage the listeners experience in music. Known to incorporate a holographic cellist and live projected cymatics (visualization of sound in water), the band is no stranger to scientific experimentation. Ethereal and powerful at once, Distant Lights are always seeking a new harmonic experience.
"If Dream Theater and A Perfect Circle got together and had a baby, and then that baby hung out with Tool on the weekends, you'd get Distant Lights." Emurg.com
"Rock music with the accuracy of a finetuned machine designed to bore through the slabs of mediocrity and complacency so prevalent in today's market. Razorsharp riffs, densely complex rhythms, and a voice that cuts glass are ingredients for a powerful, cohesive unit of talented, inspired force." Steve Bernal, cellist/bassist/composer/performer
"Distant Lights is an extreme musical group filled with heart wrenching melodic lines that weave in and out of deeply symbolic lyrics." Tim Staump, Staump.com
"They've perfected the art of intensity, and the musicianship is absolutely on point, from the distinct riffing and drum work that never falters. And don't get me started on the vocals: they're distinct, controlled, and put simply, superb." Sara Cooper, MuzikReviews.com
Instrumentation
Gabriel Fry Vocals
Gaelan Bellamy Guitar, Backing Vocals
Sam Marshall Bass
Kevin Abbenante Drums
Discography
Simulacrum, LP 2008
Not Thinking Not Dreaming, LP 2013
Beneath the Waves, EP 2015
