Black Pistol Fire

Black Pistol Fire took shape in the early 2010s as an explosive indie rock duo whose members originated in Canada yet quickly established their home base in Austin, Texas. Their sound fused unadorned Southern rock, blues, and raw garage punk without compromise. Mainstream attention arrived with the 2017 release of their fifth album, Deadbeat Grafitti, which spawned the hit singles "Lost Cause" and "Bully." The band delivered their sixth studio effort, the charged Look Alive, in 2021.

Led Zeppelin, Chuck Berry, Nirvana, Buddy Holly, and Muddy Waters stood among the influences cited by founders Eric Owen on drums and Kevin McKeown on guitar and vocals. Soon after forming, the pair left Toronto for Austin, Texas, and issued their self-titled debut full-length on Rifle Bird Records in 2011. Big Beat '59 followed the next year. A breakthrough performance at the 2013 SXSW music conference generated widespread notice, with the Huffington Post labeling them the "next big thing" and observers likening the duo to the Black Keys, the White Stripes, and Band of Skulls. Festival dates quickly mounted at Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits, Bonnaroo, Sasquatch Music Festival, Shaky Knees, and Governor's Ball. Their third album, the well-received Hush or Howl, appeared on Modern Outsider in 2014. Don't Wake the Riot, another intense set, surfaced on the same label in May 2016. The acclaimed Deadbeat Grafitti arrived the following year and contained the singles "Bully" and "Lost Cause," the latter reaching number one on the Canadian rock charts. In late 2020 the duo released the muscular single "Hope in Hell" before unveiling their sixth long-player, Look Alive, in 2021.