Playing tough, dynamic, roots-conscious rock & roll that references the past and the present in equal measure, the Hounds Below are a Detroit-based group founded by Jason Stollsteimer. After enjoying international success with his previous band, the Von Bondies, Stollsteimer began writing songs in a distinctly different style during 2008 amid internal strife within that group, then gathered friends for a one-off performance billed as Jason Stollsteimer & the Hounds Below. The Von Bondies issued their third album, Love Hate and Then Theres You, in 2009 and toured the U.S. and Europe behind it, yet by early 2010 Stollsteimer had resolved to establish the Hounds Below as a full-time project, enlisting fellow Motor City musicians that included guitarists Ben Collins and Sean Lynch, drummer Brandon McDonald, and bassist Molly Jean Schoen. The resulting lineup recorded the single “Crawling Back to You” b/w “Two Step,” though several participants continued splitting their schedules among other acts.
Stollsteimer announced the Von Bondies’ disbandment in 2011 and promptly formed a stable new configuration of the Hounds Below featuring himself on lead vocals and guitar alongside Skye Thrasher on guitar, Matthew Hofman on bass, and Griffin Bastian on drums. The refreshed ensemble toured extensively across the country, appearing on bills with Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, the Horrors, and the Raveonettes while delivering a showcase set at the 2011 South by Southwest music festival. Work then commenced on the full-length album You Light Me Up in the Dark, issued by Slimstyle Records in 2012.
