Before Dawn

Artist Information

Biography

"A hook and synth-laden wall of sound decorated with memorabilia from 70s punk rock, 80s new wave, 90s club music and, well, just about anything else you can think of! With a timeless showmanship and knack for comedic timing, this two-person Austin, Texas outfit is guaranteed to start a full-on dance party with or without you." - Shawn Petsche, Sled Island Music Festival

Before Dawn delivers a show that is exciting from the moment they walk on stage to the moment they exit. It is no surprise to find out that this duo majored in theater, and in fact that is where Rob and Kate met. Their stage show is 100% Rock and Roll Theater! That’s right ladies and gentlemen, we are witnessing the glorious return of the almighty guitar solo; but you don’t have to stop dancing to enjoy it!

Before Dawn is a “Super hot DIY Duo who makes sexy, nerdy, dance music with heavy beats, epic rock guitars, and experimental pop aesthetics. Austin, TX’s bravest buzz band!” - INsite Magazine

Before Dawn is somehow able to craft catchy pop songs with the aggressiveness of a heavy metal band while being both experimental and on the bleeding edge. This duo even builds some of their own synthesizers. Though Before Dawn has never striven to model their sound after other bands... most frequently fans immediately draw comparisons to The Killers, The B52’s, Talking Heads, Arcade Fire and Modest Mouse.

Despite being a duo, Before Dawn creates a massive wall of sound and provides a huge, personality filled, stadium sized performance in a small, convenient package. “...it's hard to believe that its just two people creating such a thick and robust yet perky sound.” – Unsigned The Magazine

Rob and Kate base themselves in Austin, TX and tour frequently. They have played in New York, Boston, Los Angeles, Kansas City, Chicago, Madison, Milwaukee, Miami, Orlando, Tampa/St. Pete and Sarasota as well as many more cities in Florida, Wisconsin and Canada all while continuing to excite audiences around Central Texas. Before Dawn has also been wowing crowds at festivals such as Tropical Heat Wave, North VS. South, Texas Rock Fest, Mid Point Music Festival, Steel Bridge Songfest and Sled Island Festival in Calgary just to name a few. To date Before Dawn has had two releases, “Drowning” and “Beats for Heat”, a LP and an EP respectively. The duo recently completed their sophomore full length album, “Brush with Greatness”, to be released April 2011. As the buzz continues to grow the momentum of this touring machine will not slow down any time soon.

Here is what some other people said about Before Dawn:

“I Love them... The best fun I have seen on stage in forever!”
– Whiskey on a Wire

“Their set is one of the few that I sing along with loudly; no matter what amount of genetic engineering better showmen or women could not be created, period.”
– riTchN, SubNatural

"Former Floridians, former stage actors, Rob and Kate know how to put on a great live show: Once saw these guys play a tiny crowd in a tiny venue, and they poured it out as if playing to a stadium filled with their best friends."
-Austin Independent Music Noise


Check Before Dawn out and be their friend! www.beforedawnband.com www.myspace.com/thebandbeforedawn
http://twitter.com/Before_Dawn

Instrumentation

Rob Houle: vocals, guitars, drum and synth programing, octapad.

Kate Houle: Bass, vocals, analogue synths.

Discography

Brush With Greatness, LP 2011
Beats For Heat, EP 2008
Drowning, LP 2007

Official Website

http://www.beforedawnband.com

Links

• Facebook
• Last.fm
• Twitter
• MySpace

Audio

• Anybody
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• ExtraordinaryTimes
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• Before We Part
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• Deadly Beauty
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• Proof
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• Robbed in Miami (Radio Edit)
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• Drowning
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• Hey Sister
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• You're Not Too Cool To Dance
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• Turning Off
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Lyrics

• Robbed in Miami
• Lover
• Wake Me
• Hey Sister
• Turning Off

Video

Drowning Music Video/SRQ

video

Photo Gallery

Press

• "Bags of Potential" [+ Show ]
  

  "...This could worm its way into the UK New Rave scene....Try this and you will jump off of a bandwa..."...This could worm its way into the UK New Rave scene....Try this and you will jump off of a bandwagon that's died, and straight on to a fresh one - bags of potential here."
  

• "...kick-in-the-balls sequence of strongguitar riffs and infectious bass lines...ass shaking tunes with a heartbeat..." [+ Show ]
  

  Review by Elliot Cole (Pastepunk, Alternative Press, Status, Soundcheck) "For a two-piece, it wou...Review by Elliot Cole (Pastepunk, Alternative Press, Status, Soundcheck)
  
  "For a two-piece, it would only be appropriate that Before Dawn is a band based on duality. The music of Rob Houle and Kate Arpke has an unrefined edge masked by a veil of mechanics; an interplay that serves as the crucial element permeating throughout the group's songs. Whether they are exploring the nuances of indie rock, mixing in bits of new wave sass or crafting a dancy electro pop beat, Before Dawn does everything with a sense of polarity. For the Austin duo, every raw chord comes with a polished rhythm, each perfection with a refreshing imprecision. It's a delicate balance that few bands can approach with anything near the consistency and creativity as Before Dawn.
  
  At times, it's surprising that two people can create so many layers in their music. Before Dawn is by no means a "small band", but rather a kick-in-the-balls sequence of strong guitar riffs and infectious bass lines. This isn't simplistic head bopping music, but ass shaking tunes with a heartbeat, a direct reflection of the sincerity and integrity of the group. Rob and Kate never give the impression that their performance is overly calculated or redundant, but rather come off as the band that will drive 50 miles to play for a drink and a slice of pizza, just for the chance to perform and spark the crowd.
  
  They wear their influences on their sleeve; Interpol-esque basslines complement the epic rock style of Muse or the post punk sounds New Order. However, their sound is entirely their own, a culmination of both familiar influences and fresh innovations.
  
  With "Drowning" set for release, Before Dawn is able to bottle the genuine expression of their live show. Tracks like "Lover" reveal Before Dawn's electronic influence. "Score" allows the band to show off their rock n' roll chops with a touch of new wave revival. "Drowning" is as consistent as it is diverse, making for an appropriate introduction to the group's eclectic influences and styles, as well as their distinctive sense of contrast."
  
  - Elliot Cole
  Soundcheck Magazine

• The Smiths Podcast [+ Show ]
  

  "Before Dawn" are Rob and Kate Houle....We owe a thank you to Daryl Bamonte for pointing them out in..."Before Dawn" are Rob and Kate Houle....We owe a thank you to Daryl Bamonte for pointing them out in his blog...I really love the New Wave vibe of that song (Drowning). there are moments when I think Rob sounds like a young though uncharacteristically energetic Peter Murphy.

• The best fun I've seen on stage in forever! [+ Show ]
  

  "Go straight away to Before Dawn's site and buy their albums. They picked this show up at the last m..."Go straight away to Before Dawn's site and buy their albums. They picked this show up at the last minute, a TBA band, lucky for us! They put on the best performance I've seen in a long time. I LOVE these guys!!! They are wicked smart and NICE, and deserving of your hard earned cash. Camp, done by excellent musicians that have a love hate relationship with the 80's...and they really want you to dance. The best fun I've seen on a stage in forever!"

• BAM S.I.T.S Blog
  

  (Drowning) "I love this song, and now they have made a great video for it too"

• Inanna Naked Review [+ Show ]
  

  Inanna Naked Review In Spanish: Intensa emoción electro-voltaica, guitarras y disco. Independien...Inanna Naked Review
  
  In Spanish:
  Intensa emoción electro-voltaica, guitarras y disco. Independientemente de todas las sensaciones presentes en su música hay una cosa que haréis irremediablemente cuando estéis escuchando a Before Dawn, MOVEROS. Incluso si los percibís en todo momento como una banda de rock el motor es electrónico y el pulso disco es sólido y casi invariable. Puede parecer una dualidad simple pero el número de influencias es notable y el tratamiento de las guitarras es amplio, incluyen detalles de electro, techno, after punk, punk y sonidos más oscuros y no notaréis ninguna ruptura en el constante y bailable ritmo de la máquina. Pero lo más atractivo para un lector de Inanna Naked es el hecho de que tienen algo, son intensos, espasmódicamente intensos; la música es como una mezcla de un impulso nervioso y una emoción amplificada; la voz está entre un grito, un gemido y un lamento y el conjunto es siempre penetrante e irresistible.
  
  In English:
  Intense electro-voltaic emotion, guitars and disco. Independently from all the sensations present in their music there is one thing you will irremediablely do when listening to Before Dawn, MOVE. Even if you perceive them at any moment as a rock band the engine is electronic and the disco pulse is strong and almost invariable. It can seem a simple duality but the number of influences is notable and the guitars treatment is wide, they include subtle details from electro, techno, after punk, punk and darker sounds and you won’t notice any rupture in the constant and danceable rhythm of the machine. But the most attractive thing for an Inanna Naked’s reader is the fact that they have something, they are intense, spasmodically intense; the music is like a mixture of a nervous impulse and an amplified emotion; the voice is between a shout, a moan and a wail and the whole is always penetrating and irresistible.
  
  Here is the link:
  http://www.inannanaked.com/index.asp?ID=698&IDF=14

• Electro Beats that are Driving and Hypnotic [+ Show ]
  

  Drowning - Before Dawn By: T. Mathenia Before Dawn an Austin, TX based duo has delivered an c...Drowning - Before Dawn
  
  By: T. Mathenia
  
  Before Dawn an Austin, TX based duo has delivered an complexingly simple New Wave album called Drowning. Rob Houle and Kate Arpke have created an album is full of rich layers. There’s the New Wave feel which rests firmly in electro beats that are driving and hypnotic. Rob Houle’s voice is a murky blend of emotional tremble and fierce seriousness that is reminiscent Adam Ant. The keyword here is reminiscent as Houle’s voice has more soaring range to it. Like another male/female duo Mr. Gnome, it’s hard to believe that its just two people creating such a thick and robust yet perky sound.
  
  
  Where ‘Lover’ has a definite electro feel to it, ‘Score’ is more rock influenced. The guitar riffs on ‘Drowning’ are strong and catchy while Kate and Rob’s vocals combine to lend an urgent feel to the tune that boils the blood and escalates the senses.

• In the Spirit of $99 Music Videos: Garage Dance Party [+ Show ]
  

  Before Dawn is two people. Who apparently have a great music video idea and can execute near flawles...Before Dawn is two people. Who apparently have a great music video idea and can execute near flawlessly. Their music has a bit of a Von Iva feeling to it, which makes me dance in my chair. The only regret for this video is not having been invited to the raging dance party.
  
  About the music video: The theme of “Drowning” is the eruption of a spontaneous dance party in a suburban home garage. We spent most of $99 on refreshments for the dancers so they would let loose a bit.
  
  link:http://www.99dollarmusicvideos.com/post/12266/in-the-spirit-of-99-music-videos-garage-dance-party

Setlist

A typical set for Before Dawn includes 8 to 18 songs. We can play a short set, a long set or up to two fifty minute sets of 100% original music. What do you need? We can do it! The one thing that we do not do is play cover songs.

Basic Requirements

Calendar