The Dear & Departed, fronted by Los Angeles' tattoo artist Dan Smith, will release their sophomore full-length album, Every Waking Moment, on November 8.
Born in England and raised in New Zealand, Smith, aka "Dan Under", grew up surrounded by bands like New Order, Duran Duran, and the Jam, which ultimately cultivated his love of the Punk and New Wave that he now brings to his own musical endeavors. The Dear & Departed is comprised of Smith (vocals), Scott Sprigg (guitar), Darren Parkinson (guitar), Jimmy Walsh (drums) and Neeraj Kane (bass).
Every Waking Moment takes The Dear & Departed's signature sound to the next level, with a flawless fusion of rich, flowing vocal melodies and intricate harmonies, and bright, layered guitar work mixed with driving bass lines. The result is a modern sound with distinct nods to their influences of classic artists such as The Smiths and The Cure. The album was produced by New Found Glory guitarist, Chad Gilbert [A Day To Remember, H20, Fireworks] and engineered by Paul Miner [New Found Glory, A.F.I., Atreyu].
The Dear & Departed's 2007 debut full length, Something Quite Peculiar, earned an "AP Recommends" nod from tastemakers at Alternative Press and the song's video earned a feature on the homepage of MTV.com. Their music has attracted high profile fans including the aforementioned Chad Gilbert of New Found Glory (of whom produced Chapters, the band's latest EP release), Davey Havok and Jade Puget of AFI, and Robin Wilson of Gin Blossoms. Both Havok and Wilson are also featured as guest vocalists on Every Waking Moment.
In mid-2008, after returning from a tour and visiting ex-coworker and friend Kat Von D, Smith was asked to join the High Voltage team in Hollywood and soon after became a part of the tattoo shop's TLC television show, LA Ink. The band's recording session for Chapters was featured on the show, with Kat Von D visiting the band in the studio for a sneak peak of the album.
Between filming seasons for the hit show, Smith and The Dear & Departed has performed around the world, with the likes of Saosin, Avenged Sevenfold, Alkaline Trio, Cursive and AFI.
