Pale Dian

Pale Dian formed as an Austin-based trio whose sound merges the shadows of post-punk with the haze of shoegaze, propelled by insistent rhythms and dense, echoing guitar layers. Ruth Ellen Smith, who handles vocals and keyboards, joined forces with guitarist Derek Kutzer after both exited Blackstone Rngrs; they adopted the new moniker and swapped drummer Dan Bornhorst for a drum machine so the project’s atmosphere and subject matter would come through more clearly. The group debuted live under the Pale Dian name in 2015, opening with bassist Ben Fleming before Nicholas Volpe stepped in. Early regional dates alongside Bloody Knives and Drab Majesty led to wider U.S. tours that placed them on bills with Cheatahs and Stargazer Lillies. Manifesto issued the trio’s first full-length record, Narrow Birth, in 2016.