Despistado was formed in late 2001 by a bunch of Regina, Saskatchewan, natives who combated the bitter cold of their surroundings by lighting a fire of frenetic indie rock that claimed as much influence from Wire's angularity as it did Modest Mouse's quirkiness. Comprised of vocalist/guitarist Dagan Harding, bassist Joel Passmore, drummer Brenan Schwartz, and guitarist Leif Thorseth, the Canadian quartet signed to Jade Tree in early 2004, and a late-spring tour alongside Statistics led up to the release of their EP The Emergency Response that June. It was well-received, and subsequent shows with bands like the Weakerthans and mewithoutYou continued to build anticipation for their upcoming album. However, rumors began spreading late in the year that Despistado were breaking up, and in January 2005, their label confirmed that all of the talk was indeed true; the guys played their last show together that same month. Their sole full-length, The People of and Their Verses, posthumously appeared in April 2005 as a digital-only release. Following the dissolution, Passmore turned his attention fully to his side band, Sylvie. ~ Corey Apar, All Music Guide
