Deafheaven's second album, Sunbather, was released in 2013 to wide critical acclaim, becoming one of the best reviewed albums of the year in the US. In 2015 the band followed up with New Bermuda and in 2018 with Ordinary Corrupt Human Love. Their 2021 fifth album, Infinite Granite, drastically reduced the presence of screamed vocals.
Deafheaven formed in February 2010 in San Francisco with vocalist George Clarke and guitarist Kerry McCoy, who previously performed in a grindcore band together. Clarke isn’t sure how he arrived on the name Deafheaven, though he is aware of its appearance in William Shakespeare’s Sonnet 29. The two words ‘deaf’ and ‘heaven’ were combined as an homage to Slowdive.
Clarke and McCoy recorded their demo in April, 2010 at Atomic Garden Studios which was released both on cassette tape format in limited quantities and digitally. It featured four songs that combined black metal and post-rock. Originally, Deafheaven did not intend to release the material but they later sent it out to a few of their favorite blogs.
After the demo had been positively received, Clarke and McCoy recruited three additional musicians, bassist Derek Prine, guitarists Nick Bassett of the shoegaze bands Whirr and Nothing, and drummer Trevor Deschryver who responded to an ad on Craigslist to form a five-piece group and started playing their first shows on July, 2010.
Their debut full-length Roads to Judah was released by Deathwish Inc. on April 26, 2011. As early as September, 2011 Deafheaven announced they had begun writing new music for a potential split album, EP or full-length. At the time, McCoy described it as being "faster, darker, heavier and far more experimental" than their previous material. However in December, 2012 Clarke described their new material as "less melancholic and less centered around only black metal," but rather featuring a more "lush and rock-driven, even pop-driven sound at times."
Their third album titled Sunbather was written solely by founding members Clarke and McCoy. This was similar to the way the band's first demo was composed, and different from Roads to Judah, which was written as a five-piece band. The duo was also joined in the studio by new drummer Daniel Tracy, who "added his own drum style to already-constructed song skeletons." The title of the album reflects Clarke's idea of perfection. He stated that it's meant to represent "a wealthy, beautiful, perfect existence that is naturally unattainable and the struggles of having to deal with that reality because of your own faults, relationship troubles, family troubles, death, et cetera." Deafheaven entered the studio to record in January 2013 with Jack Shirley, and released the album on June 11, 2013 through Deathwish Inc.
Sunbather was critically acclaimed upon release. Metacritic rated the album 92/100, based on 18 reviews, and later declared it the best-reviewed major album of 2013. It was also Deafheaven's first release to chart on Billboard — it ranked at number 130 on the Billboard 200 and number 2 on the Top Heatseekers chart.
In addition to new drummer Daniel Tracy, who was a part of the band for the recording of Sunbather, the band recruited bassist Stephen Clark and guitarist Shiv Mehra for the 2013-2014 tours. Founding members Clarke and McCoy said previous band members parted ways due to difficulties with life on the road and earning little-to-no money.
In 2014, the band released the track "From the Kettle onto the Coil" as a free download for the cable television network Adult Swim's weekly singles series. Their third album, New Bermuda, was released on October 2, 2015, through the ANTI- record label, to critical acclaim.
The band started working on the follow up to New Bermuda in January 2018, when they announced they were in the studio working on a new album, scheduled for release later in the year. On April 17, 2018, the band released "Honeycomb", the lead single to their fourth studio album Ordinary Corrupt Human Love. On June 12, 2018, a new track from the new album titled "Canary Yellow" was released.The album was released on July 13, 2018 through Anti- Records. It received widespread acclaim from critics.
Their music is described as “a dizzying hybrid of shoegaze shimmer, hardcore punk passion, emo vulnerability, and black metal intensity.” They have cited a wide range of musical influences, including, but not limited to: Morbid Angel, The Smiths, Burzum, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Orchid, Emperor and My Bloody Valentine.
Deafheaven
Current Members
George Clarke – lead vocals (2010–present)
Kerry McCoy – guitar (2010–present), bass (2010, 2012–2013)
Daniel Tracy – drums (2012–present)
Shiv Mehra – guitar, backing vocals, keyboards (2013–present)
Chris Johnson – bass, backing vocals (2017–present)
Former Members
Nick Bassett – guitar (2010–2012)
Derek Prine – bass (2010–2012)
Trevor Deschryver – drums (2010–2011)
Korey Severson – drums (2011–2012)
Stephen Clark – bass (2013–2017
2010 - Demo (Remastered in 2012)
2011 - DW Live Series 08: Live at The Blacktop 01.15.11
2011 - Libertine Dissolves (single)
2011 - Roads to Judah
2012 - Deafheaven / Bosse-de-Nage (with Bosse-de-Nage)
2013 - Sunbather
2014 - From the Kettle onto the Coil
2015 - New Bermuda
2018 - Ordinary Corrupt Human Love
2021 - Infinite Granite
The Pecan Tree
Deafheaven Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Setting fire to curtains in hope that you're dreaming
Destroying the tomb of memories from your life
In the room full of family, but couldn't find one
In the hallways lit up brightly, but couldn't find myself
I laid drunk on the concrete on the day of your birth in
Celebration of all you were worth
I am no one
I cannot love
It's in my blood
The lyrics to Deafheaven's song The Pecan Tree are full of imagery and emotion, reflecting on the struggles of life, love and loss. The opening line "Drooling red from my eyes to meet the bitter sun that shines past into light" is particularly vivid, conveying the intensity of emotion that the singer is feeling. They are willing to endure physical pain to see the sun rise, to experience a new day and to move past their sadness.
The next few lines are particularly poignant, as they speak to their desire to destroy the memories of a past relationship. The singer is so consumed by their pain that they want to erase all the good times they had with their loved one, tearing down the "tomb of memories" that they had built together. Despite being surrounded by family and light, the singer feels lost and alone, unable to find solace in their surroundings.
The final lines of the song are particularly haunting, as the singer reflects on their own inability to love. They feel that this lack of love is somehow "in their blood", passed down from their father, a reminder of the tumultuous journey that has brought them to this point. Overall, The Pecan Tree is a deeply reflective and moving song, exploring the pain and beauty of life in equal measure.
Line by Line Meaning
Drooling red from my eyes to meet the bitter sun that shines past into light
My eyes are bloodshot as I look up at the sun, which seems harsh and unpleasant
Setting fire to curtains in hope that you're dreaming
I'm burning down the house, hoping that you're only dreaming and that this destruction isn't real
Destroying the tomb of memories from your life
I'm erasing all the memories of you and our past together
In the room full of family, but couldn't find one
Even though I'm surrounded by family, I feel utterly alone and disconnected
In the hallways lit up brightly, but couldn't find myself
Despite being in a bright and public space, I feel lost and uncertain of who I am
I laid drunk on the concrete on the day of your birth in
I was drunk and passed out on the day you were born
Celebration of all you were worth
Despite my drunkenness, I still wanted to celebrate how valuable you are
I am my father's son
I am deeply influenced by my father and the traits he passed down to me
I am no one
I feel insignificant and lost in the world
I cannot love
I find it difficult or impossible to emotionally connect with others
It's in my blood
This inability to love is something that runs deeply in my family and in me
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY
Written by: George Lesage Clarke IV, Kerry Dylan Mccoy
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind