Young Widows

Though singer Steve Sindoni amicably parted ways with Louisville, Kentucky's Breather Resist in December 2005, the remaining members — guitarist Evan Patterson (formerly of Black Cross, the National Acrobat, and various other Louisville bands), bassist Nick Thieneman, and drummer Geoff Paton — weren't ready yet to throw in the towel. They pressed on and chose not to replace Sindoni, with Patterson picking up the main vocal duties. The trio entered the studio the following April with intentions to record Breather Resist's second album. But when the resulting music was not quite the metallic hardcore aggression of their past, the guys consequently decided to retire Breather Resist and its accompanying discography altogether, forging ahead instead with a new identity, sound, and name: Young Widows.

Taking influence for their dark, reverb-heavy noise rock and moody post-punk grooves from bands like Hoover, the Jesus Lizard, Shellac, and the Melvins, their debut, Settle Down City, was issued on Jade Tree in September 2006. About two weeks of nationwide dates preceded its release, and the band headed to Europe soon after with Seattle's Akimbo. Two years after their debut, Old Wounds found the band teaming up with producer Kurt Ballou, who compiled the album from live performances on the road and in studio performances. Citing a lack of interest from Jade Tree, the band switched to Temporary Residence before releasing the album in September of 2008. The band's tastes gravitated toward mellow bands like Pink Floyd and Smog over the next few years, which influenced the slower pace of 2011's In and Out of Youth and Lightness and the dark and spacious sound of 2014's Easy Pain.