Representative Albums: "Achilles Heel," "It's Hard to Find a Friend," "Control"
Representative Songs: "Letter from a Concerned Follo," "Of Up and Coming Monarchs," "Promise"
Biography
After a shifting lineup, Pedro the Lion finally eventually became a one-man outfit. That man is David Bazan. A Seattle native, Bazan cut his teeth playing in hardcore bands before forming Pedro in 1995, taking the band's name from a character he made up for a possible children's book. Under the moniker of Pedro the Lion, Bazan creates melodic pop in the vein of Bedhead, Hayden, and Sebadoh, with a lyrical focus on relationships -- with both other people and God. Bazan also plays in the band Unwed Sailor with Johnathon Ford of Roadside Monument. Pedro the Lion's debut full-length album, It's Hard to Find a Friend, was released in 1998. An EP titled The Only Reason I Feel Secure shortly followed, and in early 2000 Pedro the Lion returned with Winners Never Quit on Jade Tree. In 2001, Jade Tree reissued the band's first two records, and Casey Foubert joined the band to handle bass, percussion, and keyboard duties for the next record, 2002's Control. In 2004, the band issued their most expansive album, Achilles Heel. Two years later, in early 2006, Bazan retired the Pedro moniker to continue on with solo work under his own name; the first "official" David Bazan release, the Fewer Moving Parts EP, appeared that July. Long-time collaborator and multi-instrumentalist T.W. Walsh moved on with his own project, the Soft Drugs, and returned to a career in software engineering. ~ Jason Nickey, All Music Guide
Pedro the Lion was formed by David Bazan in 1995[1] and released its debut EP Whole in April 1997. Throughout the band's many lineup changes, Bazan remained the primary artist and musician behind the group, singing and playing virtually every instrument on the band's first two full length albums, It's Hard to Find a Friend (1998) and Winners Never Quit (2000). Seldom's Casey Foubert joined Bazan for the band's 2002 effort, Control, playing drums and keyboards and co-writing "Penetration" and "Second Best". Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie was a touring member as well, among many others. Achilles Heel followed in 2004 and featured T.W. Walsh, perhaps the only other individual—besides Bazan—to ever be considered an official band member.[2] All told, the band released four full-length albums as well as several EPs and various 7" singles.
Throughout his career, Bazan has been involved with such musical acts as Damien Jurado, Scientific, The Six Parts Seven, The Soft Drugs, Seldom, and Unwed Sailor. He, TW Walsh, and Frank Lenz of Starflyer 59, comprised the band Headphones during the time that the band's debut and only LP was recorded. TW later left the band for personal reasons after a tour on which he handled drum duties. Nick Peterson filled in on drums for the remaining Headphones live shows. David has said that he is not sure if there will be another Headphones album or not, but there are no plans for one at the moment.[3][4]
Pedro the Lion performing in 2004, Bazan is at the far left playing guitar
In early January 2006, Pedro the Lion formally announced that they had split. The split was amicable; Bazan and Walsh continue to be good friends. Bazan said that their friendship has even been strengthened by the breakup.[5] Bazan toured in support of Fewer Moving Parts, his solo debut EP. His first full length album is in the works for 2008. Walsh returned to his career as a Web application developer[6] and is busy with his band, The Soft Drugs, and their debut release, In Moderation. Pedro The Lion was managed by Bob Andrews at Undertow Music. David Bazan released his debut solo LP, Curse Your Branches, on Seattle-based Barsuk Records in 2009.
