Death Bells

Originally from Australia yet now operating out of Los Angeles, Death Bells blend shadowy romantic dream pop with post-punk and shoegaze textures. The outfit first appeared in 2017 through Standing at the Edge of the World and later sharpened its brooding atmosphere on the 2020 release New Signs of Life as well as Between Here & Everywhere in 2022.

The project began in Sydney in 2014 when longtime friends Will Canning, Maurice Santiago, and Aron Postolovic formed the initial lineup. Remy Veselis completed the roster after Santiago met him in Spain; Veselis was then residing in England, where the group commenced songwriting inside Postolovic’s grandparents’ basement. Early in 2015 Veselis moved back to Byron Bay and started commuting to Sydney every couple of weeks for rehearsals ahead of upcoming performances. Once they issued the independent single “You, Me & Everyone in Between,” the band played shows along the Australian East Coast and obtained support slots with Gold Class and Gang of Youths.

In summer 2015 the members withdrew to record their debut EP, layering reverb-laden guitar melodies, analog synths, and drum machines inside the apartment shared by Veselis, Canning, and Santiago before Mikey Young of fellow Australian post-punk act Total Control handled mastering. Critics likened the resulting tracks to the work of Joy Division, the National, and Depeche Mode. Funeral Party Records released the band’s first full-length, Standing at the Edge of the World, in 2017.

The 2018 relocation to Los Angeles triggered further lineup shifts, after which Death Bells stabilized around singer Canning and instrumentalist Veselis. Colin Knight produced their second album, New Signs of Life, which surfaced in 2020; the concert recording Live from Bombay followed a year later. Knight returned to the helm for the group’s third long-player, Between Here & Everywhere, issued in 2022.