Forgive Durden

In 2003 Thomas Dutton launched the Seattle pop/rock outfit Forgive Durden, handling lead vocals and guitar himself. Intent on deepening his songcraft, he soon teamed with bassist Jesse Bauer, a classmate, and drummer Andy Mannino. That September the three-piece issued their first recording, the seven-track independent EP When You're Alone, You're Not Alone. Once second guitarist Thomas Hunter joined, the expanded quartet began touring behind the release. By late 2005 the band had attracted Fueled by Ramen, which signed them to its roster. Working again with producer Casey Bates, Forgive Durden delivered the conceptual full-length Wonderland in May of the following year. Framed around an imaginary locale, the album offered a pointed critique of capitalism, greed, and corruption. Subsequent road dates paired the group with Panic! at the Disco, the Matches, and Gatsbys American Dream, and the band also appeared on that summer’s Warped Tour. When the other members eventually departed, Dutton remained the project’s lone constant. Keeping the Forgive Durden name, he recruited his brother’s assistance and began shaping a stage musical inspired by Moulin Rouge and The Newsies. The finished work, Razia’s Shadow: A Musical, arrived in 2008 and included guest appearances by Max Bemis of Say Anything, Greta Salpeter of the Hush Sound, Aaron Weiss of mewithoutYou, and Chris Conley of Saves the Day.