Dispatch

In the closing years of the 1990s, the rock trio Dispatch, hailing from Boston, carved out a presence within college and jam band scenes through releases such as Bang Bang in 1997 and Four-Day Trials from 1999. These works highlighted their blend of acoustic pop and folk-rock, interspersed with reggae and funk elements. With a pronounced independent ethos, the group cultivated an extensive fanbase from the ground up and embraced file-sharing technology early on. As their music shifted toward broader electric textures, Dispatch dissolved around the middle of the 2000s but gathered sporadically for isolated performances. A permanent reformation occurred in 2011, marked by robust chart performance from their return effort, Circles Around the Sun. Their artistic scope expanded further across later works, including America, Location 12 in 2017 and Break Our Fall released in 2021.

Brad Corrigan, Pete Heimbold, and Chad Urmston established Dispatch during their time as students at Middlebury College in Vermont. The band's initial recording appeared in 1996 under the title Silent Steeples, followed by Bang Bang the subsequent year. Four-Day Trials arrived in June 2000, offering fans a collection of initial recordings and concert staples, among them an extended rendition of the Beastie Boys' "Root Down." October of that year brought Who Are We Living For?, which incorporated a heightened awareness of social issues amid the trio's lively, organic rhythms. Dispatch had by then developed a substantial audience along the East Coast through repeated appearances at universities and a robust online footprint. This attention led to national modern rock radio exposure for their reggae-infused track "Open Up." Gut the Van came out in 2001, benefiting from nationwide availability via the Digital Club Network's digital marketplace while capturing the band's dynamic stage presence.

In 2003, the members declared their mutual choice to part ways; the next year, what was presented as their last performance took place as a complimentary concert attracting more than 110,000 attendees to Boston's Hatch Shell. All Points Bulletin preserved that occasion on record, after which the three pursued separate paths. A return materialized soon enough when Dispatch reconvened in summer 2007 for multiple charity events. The performances were captured on the CD/DVD set Dispatch: Zimbabwe: Live at Madison Square Garden. During 2011, the musicians confirmed plans for a full reunion alongside various U.S. tour dates. Reconvened, they issued Circles Around the Sun, an album helmed by producer Peter Katis—known for work with Interpol, Jonsi, and the National—which reflected a broadened sonic palette following their decade-long break. This was succeeded in 2013 by the two-disc concert recording Ain't No Trip to Cleveland, Vol. 1.

The group then withdrew to the studio for their forthcoming project, pausing to headline once more at Madison Square Garden in July 2015. America, Location 12 emerged from those sessions in June 2017, prompting tours across America alongside Guster and through Europe with Current Swell. Early in 2018, the impactful track "Dear Congress, (17)" appeared mere weeks after the Valentine's Day tragedy at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Dispatch adopted an unusual strategy by unveiling tracks from their upcoming studio album individually at intervals throughout the 2018 summer. These selections ultimately formed the complete Location 13, issued that September. In 2020, the band put out multiple singles ahead of their eighth studio album, Break Our Fall, which arrived in 2021.