Benton Falls

Benton Falls emerged from Santa Rosa, California as an emo quartet whose lineup included Michael Richardson on vocals and guitar, Gerb on guitar, Vance Gore on bass, and Eli Deering on drums. The group drew heavily from '90s emocore trailblazers such as Sunny Day Real Estate, Braid, and Jawbox, placing it squarely alongside second-generation emo bands like Get Up Kids and Moneen. Its first recorded appearance arrived in July 2001 on the independent Deep Elm label's compilation The Silence in My Heart: The Emo Diaries Chapter Six, which featured the track "Tell Him," and the full-length debut Fighting Starlight followed on the same imprint less than a month afterward. Gerb exited shortly thereafter, leaving the band to continue as a trio that toured through 2002. The remaining members returned to the studio that winter to record their sophomore album Guilt Beats Hate, which appeared in spring 2003.