Biography
The dB's crafted sharp, tuneful material laced with psychedelic touches and intricate melodic turns, positioning the group as a vital link between the classic power-pop era of the 1970s—exemplified by Big Star, Badfinger, and the Scruffs—and the ringing, intelligent new-wave style later embodied by R.E.M. Although the band conducted most of its activities along the East Coast, its members, primarily North Carolina natives, ranked among the earliest and most significant voices in the Southern wing of new wave, infusing a regional warmth into a sound that often came across as chilly and minimal elsewhere. Their debut, the 1981 release Stands for Decibels, earned widespread critical acclaim; Like This, issued in 1984, paired their incisive hooks with richer studio treatment; the 2012 reunion set Falling Off the Sky avoided any nostalgic constraints; and the 2021 anthology I Thought You Wanted to Know: 1978-1981 presented previously unheard perspectives on the band's formative period.
The story originated in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, where, during the early 1970s, two ambitious guitarists, singers, and songwriters named Chris Stamey and Peter Holsapple began their collaboration. Having known each other since elementary school, the pair bonded over both classic pop and harder rock, and together with fellow Winston-Salem resident Mitch Easter they assembled Rittenhouse Square, which issued a self-produced album in 1972 before disbanding soon afterward. In 1975 Stamey and Easter recruited local drummer Will Rigby to launch the Sneakers, while Holsapple started the H-Bombs; the Sneakers delivered an acclaimed 1976 EP of forward-looking upbeat power pop, yet dissolved the following year once Stamey relocated to New York City for college. There he encountered another Southern transplant, Alex Chilton, and quickly joined the ex-Big Star leader on bass. Stamey wasted little time embedding himself in the city's vibrant scene and decided to assemble his own group, inviting Rigby and North Carolina musician Gene Holder to join him for performances. The results proved sufficiently satisfying that both Rigby and Holder moved north permanently. Operating first as Chris Stamey & the dB's—an appellation referencing both “drums and bass” and the decibel unit—the unit cut a 1978 single on Stamey's Car Records imprint. Upon hearing that the H-Bombs had split and that Holsapple, now based in Memphis, struggled to locate compatible players, Stamey extended an invitation; Holsapple accepted, completing the quartet and contributing guitar plus organ.
The musicians established a rehearsal loft inside the offices of New York Rocker magazine and soon tracked four-track demos, among them a playful promotional jingle for the publication. Before long they were performing regularly on the local club circuit and undertaking brief East Coast and Midwestern tours, with Holsapple steadily adding songs to the repertoire. Shake Records issued the first official single, “Black and White” backed with “Soul Kiss,” in 1980, after which the group commenced album sessions. Unable to secure a U.S. contract, they signed instead with Britain's Albion Records, resulting in the early-1981 release of Stands for deciBels. The band traveled to England for promotional dates, including a multi-act showcase of New York and Hoboken artists—the Fleshtones, the Bongos, the Raybeats, and the Bush Tetras—captured for the Stiff Records live compilation Start Swimming. While overseas they also supported former Soft Boys guitarist Kimberley Rew on sessions that surfaced on his album The Bible of Bop.
Back in New York they prepared their follow-up, Repercussion, which appeared in early 1982. Months later Stamey departed to pursue solo work. Holsapple performed acoustically through much of that year and Holder explored production, yet in 1983 the group obtained its first American deal via Bearsville Records, distributed by Warner Bros. Recorded as a trio—with Holder handling both guitar and bass and Holsapple on lead vocals—Like This reached stores in fall 1984; the lineup expanded again when Rick Wagner joined on bass for a tour alongside R.E.M. Despite favorable notices and initial airplay, distribution problems arose when Warner Bros. terminated its arrangement with Bearsville. The band pressed ahead, touring in 1985 with Stamey's new project and Mitch Easter's Let's Active; Jeff Beninato replaced Wagner on bass. A brief reunion with Stamey yielded the track “Christmas Time,” title song of a 1986 holiday collection Stamey curated, while Holder split his energies between the dB's and the Wygals. The sudden 1986 death of Bearsville owner Albert Grossman left the label without a will, stranding the dB's and other acts amid legal disputes. Only in spring 1987 did the musicians regain their freedom; they had already arranged a deal with IRS Records, signed immediately, and entered the studio for The Sound of Music. Though the album represented their most refined, radio-friendly effort, Holder announced his exit upon completion to focus on the Wygals. Harold Kelt assumed guitar and keyboard duties for the September 1987 tour, which included dates with R.E.M. amid the latter's Document breakthrough; the larger crowds proved unreceptive, and the band deemed Kelt an unsuitable match. Eric Peterson, previously of the Wygals, replaced him for 1988 European shows with Alex Chilton and further U.S. dates, during which the group demoed a prospective fifth album. In October 1988 Rigby stepped down following the birth of his first child, prompting Holsapple to disband the dB's. Those 1988 demos eventually appeared in 1994 as Paris Avenue, while earlier four-track recordings surfaced on Ride the Wild TomTom.
Post-breakup, Peter Holsapple served as a sideman for R.E.M. and Hootie & the Blowfish and co-founded the roots-rock outfit the Continental Drifters with then-wife Susan Cowsill. Gene Holder remained active with the Wygals and produced sessions for Yo La Tengo, the Individuals, and Luna. Will Rigby issued two distinctive solo albums and played drums for Steve Earle, Matthew Sweet, Laura Cantrell, and Tommy Womack. Chris Stamey advanced his solo career and established a reputation as a producer and engineer. In 1991 Stamey and Holsapple reunited for the duo album Mavericks, which included a guest appearance by Gene Holder; a second duo project, 2009's Here and Now, featured Holder and Rigby on the track “Santa Monica.” The original Stamey/Holsapple/Holder/Rigby configuration reconvened for 2005 concerts in Chicago and Hoboken. Occasional live appearances followed, leading to new recordings. The single “Picture Sleeve” backed with “Write Back” appeared for Record Store Day in 2011, and Bar/None Records issued the reunion album Falling Off the Sky in summer 2012. Stamey and Holsapple delivered a third duo collection, 2020's Our Back Pages, consisting of spare, semi-acoustic reinterpretations of dB's material. The 2021 anthology I Thought You Wanted to Know: 1978-1981 compiled early singles, unreleased studio tracks, and live documents from the band's initial years.
The story originated in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, where, during the early 1970s, two ambitious guitarists, singers, and songwriters named Chris Stamey and Peter Holsapple began their collaboration. Having known each other since elementary school, the pair bonded over both classic pop and harder rock, and together with fellow Winston-Salem resident Mitch Easter they assembled Rittenhouse Square, which issued a self-produced album in 1972 before disbanding soon afterward. In 1975 Stamey and Easter recruited local drummer Will Rigby to launch the Sneakers, while Holsapple started the H-Bombs; the Sneakers delivered an acclaimed 1976 EP of forward-looking upbeat power pop, yet dissolved the following year once Stamey relocated to New York City for college. There he encountered another Southern transplant, Alex Chilton, and quickly joined the ex-Big Star leader on bass. Stamey wasted little time embedding himself in the city's vibrant scene and decided to assemble his own group, inviting Rigby and North Carolina musician Gene Holder to join him for performances. The results proved sufficiently satisfying that both Rigby and Holder moved north permanently. Operating first as Chris Stamey & the dB's—an appellation referencing both “drums and bass” and the decibel unit—the unit cut a 1978 single on Stamey's Car Records imprint. Upon hearing that the H-Bombs had split and that Holsapple, now based in Memphis, struggled to locate compatible players, Stamey extended an invitation; Holsapple accepted, completing the quartet and contributing guitar plus organ.
The musicians established a rehearsal loft inside the offices of New York Rocker magazine and soon tracked four-track demos, among them a playful promotional jingle for the publication. Before long they were performing regularly on the local club circuit and undertaking brief East Coast and Midwestern tours, with Holsapple steadily adding songs to the repertoire. Shake Records issued the first official single, “Black and White” backed with “Soul Kiss,” in 1980, after which the group commenced album sessions. Unable to secure a U.S. contract, they signed instead with Britain's Albion Records, resulting in the early-1981 release of Stands for deciBels. The band traveled to England for promotional dates, including a multi-act showcase of New York and Hoboken artists—the Fleshtones, the Bongos, the Raybeats, and the Bush Tetras—captured for the Stiff Records live compilation Start Swimming. While overseas they also supported former Soft Boys guitarist Kimberley Rew on sessions that surfaced on his album The Bible of Bop.
Back in New York they prepared their follow-up, Repercussion, which appeared in early 1982. Months later Stamey departed to pursue solo work. Holsapple performed acoustically through much of that year and Holder explored production, yet in 1983 the group obtained its first American deal via Bearsville Records, distributed by Warner Bros. Recorded as a trio—with Holder handling both guitar and bass and Holsapple on lead vocals—Like This reached stores in fall 1984; the lineup expanded again when Rick Wagner joined on bass for a tour alongside R.E.M. Despite favorable notices and initial airplay, distribution problems arose when Warner Bros. terminated its arrangement with Bearsville. The band pressed ahead, touring in 1985 with Stamey's new project and Mitch Easter's Let's Active; Jeff Beninato replaced Wagner on bass. A brief reunion with Stamey yielded the track “Christmas Time,” title song of a 1986 holiday collection Stamey curated, while Holder split his energies between the dB's and the Wygals. The sudden 1986 death of Bearsville owner Albert Grossman left the label without a will, stranding the dB's and other acts amid legal disputes. Only in spring 1987 did the musicians regain their freedom; they had already arranged a deal with IRS Records, signed immediately, and entered the studio for The Sound of Music. Though the album represented their most refined, radio-friendly effort, Holder announced his exit upon completion to focus on the Wygals. Harold Kelt assumed guitar and keyboard duties for the September 1987 tour, which included dates with R.E.M. amid the latter's Document breakthrough; the larger crowds proved unreceptive, and the band deemed Kelt an unsuitable match. Eric Peterson, previously of the Wygals, replaced him for 1988 European shows with Alex Chilton and further U.S. dates, during which the group demoed a prospective fifth album. In October 1988 Rigby stepped down following the birth of his first child, prompting Holsapple to disband the dB's. Those 1988 demos eventually appeared in 1994 as Paris Avenue, while earlier four-track recordings surfaced on Ride the Wild TomTom.
Post-breakup, Peter Holsapple served as a sideman for R.E.M. and Hootie & the Blowfish and co-founded the roots-rock outfit the Continental Drifters with then-wife Susan Cowsill. Gene Holder remained active with the Wygals and produced sessions for Yo La Tengo, the Individuals, and Luna. Will Rigby issued two distinctive solo albums and played drums for Steve Earle, Matthew Sweet, Laura Cantrell, and Tommy Womack. Chris Stamey advanced his solo career and established a reputation as a producer and engineer. In 1991 Stamey and Holsapple reunited for the duo album Mavericks, which included a guest appearance by Gene Holder; a second duo project, 2009's Here and Now, featured Holder and Rigby on the track “Santa Monica.” The original Stamey/Holsapple/Holder/Rigby configuration reconvened for 2005 concerts in Chicago and Hoboken. Occasional live appearances followed, leading to new recordings. The single “Picture Sleeve” backed with “Write Back” appeared for Record Store Day in 2011, and Bar/None Records issued the reunion album Falling Off the Sky in summer 2012. Stamey and Holsapple delivered a third duo collection, 2020's Our Back Pages, consisting of spare, semi-acoustic reinterpretations of dB's material. The 2021 anthology I Thought You Wanted to Know: 1978-1981 compiled early singles, unreleased studio tracks, and live documents from the band's initial years.
Albums
I Thought You Wanted to Know: 1978-1981
2021
Falling Off The Sky
2012
Repercussion
1982
Stands for deciBels
1981
Singles
