Dear and the Headlights

by Kenyon HopkinHailing from Phoenix, AZ, rock band Dear and the Headlights is Ian Metzger (vocals, guitar), Joel Marquard (vocals, guitar, keyboard), Chuckie Duff (bass, keyboard), PJ Waxman (vocals, guitar), and Mark Kulvinskas (drums). Prior to forming in 2005, Metzger, Marquard, and Waxman had been playing music together without a rhythm section. Friend Chuckie Duff offered to record a few demo songs, but they had decided to disband after the demos were done. Months later, Duff convinced the band to reassemble. He joined on bass and financed a full-length recording, while they also added Kulvinskas, who joined just in time for the band's first show a couple of weeks later. The quintet was soon opening for bands such as the Bravery, matt pond PA, Make Believe, Idlewild, and the Hold Steady. Dear and the Headlights signed with Equal Vision Records in November 2006, with the album Small Steps, Heavy Hooves due in February 2007.