Biography
At the Drive-In distinguished themselves in El Paso, Texas, by merging emotive melodies with energetic rhythms that shifted in surprising ways. The group assembled during the first part of 1994 and issued their initial EP, Hell Paso, before completing a short run of shows across the Lone Star State. With Cedric Bixler on vocals, Omar Rodriguez-Lopez and Jim Ward on guitar, Paul Hinojos on bass, and Tony Hajjar on drums, the band followed with the EP Alfaro Vive, Carajo! and performed in sparsely attended clubs and halls throughout the western United States. A low-profile Los Angeles appearance before an audience of nine people nevertheless attracted Flipside Records, which issued the first full-length album, Acrobatic Tenement, in 1996. Sustained drive and tireless touring, combined with grassroots enthusiasm, gradually built a following. The 1997 EP El Gran Orgo introduced stronger melodic elements without diminishing the group’s inventive range. In/Casino/Out appeared in 1998, and Relationship of Command followed in 2000.
An indefinite hiatus began in 2001. Cedric Bixler and Omar Rodriguez-Lopez formed the Mars Volta, while Jim Ward, Tony Hajjar, and Paul Hinojos joined Sparta. By May 2005 the separation appeared lasting, as both Sparta and the Mars Volta maintained active careers, leading At the Drive-In to release the retrospective compilation This Station Is Non-Operational through Fearless in the United States. The set gathered key tracks, rare recordings, covers of songs by the Smiths and Pink Floyd, and DVD footage. In 2012 the members unexpectedly announced a reunion that included a Coachella Festival performance that April. They played several additional festivals that year and reissued their first three albums on their own label, Twenty-First Chapter. The Mars Volta’s breakup in 2013 reopened the possibility of new At the Drive-In material, an option previously declined. In 2016 the musicians confirmed plans to record again and launch a worldwide reunion tour. Days before the tour began, Jim Ward announced his departure in March, leaving the lineup short. Late in the year the band released the single “Governed by Contagions.” They subsequently announced the title of their fourth album, in•ter a•li•a, on Rise Records. Because Jim Ward did not participate, the group enlisted former Sparta guitarist Keeley Davis for the sessions. The album appeared in May 2017, led by the singles “Governed by Contagions” and “Incurably Innocent.” While still on tour later that year, they issued their fifth EP, Diamanté.
An indefinite hiatus began in 2001. Cedric Bixler and Omar Rodriguez-Lopez formed the Mars Volta, while Jim Ward, Tony Hajjar, and Paul Hinojos joined Sparta. By May 2005 the separation appeared lasting, as both Sparta and the Mars Volta maintained active careers, leading At the Drive-In to release the retrospective compilation This Station Is Non-Operational through Fearless in the United States. The set gathered key tracks, rare recordings, covers of songs by the Smiths and Pink Floyd, and DVD footage. In 2012 the members unexpectedly announced a reunion that included a Coachella Festival performance that April. They played several additional festivals that year and reissued their first three albums on their own label, Twenty-First Chapter. The Mars Volta’s breakup in 2013 reopened the possibility of new At the Drive-In material, an option previously declined. In 2016 the musicians confirmed plans to record again and launch a worldwide reunion tour. Days before the tour began, Jim Ward announced his departure in March, leaving the lineup short. Late in the year the band released the single “Governed by Contagions.” They subsequently announced the title of their fourth album, in•ter a•li•a, on Rise Records. Because Jim Ward did not participate, the group enlisted former Sparta guitarist Keeley Davis for the sessions. The album appeared in May 2017, led by the singles “Governed by Contagions” and “Incurably Innocent.” While still on tour later that year, they issued their fifth EP, Diamanté.
Albums
Singles
