Biography
Damiera emerged from Buffalo, New York, crafting taut, muscular yet intricate indie rock shaped by the influence of At the Drive-In and Braid. Guitarist and vocalist Dave Raymond joined forces with guitarist Matthew Kipp to launch the group after their earlier band League disbanded in early 2005. Eager to move forward quickly, the pair brought in drummer Brad McRae, who had previously played with the Florida-based Sleeping Girl Drowning, and started composing songs while hunting for a bassist. When the time came to record their self-titled debut EP, issued in late 2005, they still lacked a permanent bass player, so Mark Henry—vocalist for Queen City Nights—stepped in as a session contributor. Once Damiera hit the road with a temporary bassist, Henry decided to exit Queen City Nights and commit to Damiera on a permanent basis.
That configuration proved short-lived when Kipp departed, forcing the band to audition more than 100 guitarists before discovering New Orleans native Rock Whittington through an online posting. After two months spent refining a fresh batch of songs, Damiera secured a deal with Tamerlane Records and tracked their debut full-length M(US)ic alongside producer Jayson DeZuzio. Tamerlane folded before the album could reach stores, yet the group pressed ahead with a promotional tour that encompassed more than 200 performances throughout 2006, each date supported by a 1,000-unit limited pressing of M(US)ic. Every copy sold, prompting Equal Vision Records to sign the band and issue M(US)ic officially in early 2007. Despite widespread critical praise for the record, Damiera declared their dissolution that June through a MySpace post that read simply, “we set a goal and found it.”
That configuration proved short-lived when Kipp departed, forcing the band to audition more than 100 guitarists before discovering New Orleans native Rock Whittington through an online posting. After two months spent refining a fresh batch of songs, Damiera secured a deal with Tamerlane Records and tracked their debut full-length M(US)ic alongside producer Jayson DeZuzio. Tamerlane folded before the album could reach stores, yet the group pressed ahead with a promotional tour that encompassed more than 200 performances throughout 2006, each date supported by a 1,000-unit limited pressing of M(US)ic. Every copy sold, prompting Equal Vision Records to sign the band and issue M(US)ic officially in early 2007. Despite widespread critical praise for the record, Damiera declared their dissolution that June through a MySpace post that read simply, “we set a goal and found it.”
Albums
