Melding the noisy pop hooks of late-’80s indie pop, the hazy guitar overload of shoegaze, and the gauzy punch of dream pop, Ringo Deathstarr carried the torch for the original wave of bands like Ride, Medicine, and early Smashing Pumpkins, who worked in similar fashion. Starting with their debut album Colour Trip, the trio’s recorded output was reliably consistent from the very beginning; each record displayed their skills at crafting blown-out guitar pop songs, then putting them on tape with minimal nods to modern recording technology. This meant that their albums held up nicely next to those of their inspirations, and when the band finally pushed the formula a little by adding new sounds on 2020’s self-titled album, they began to forge their own path.
The band was originally formed in 2005 by singer and guitarist Elliott Frazier in his hometown of Beaumont, Texas, but after moving to the more musically happening climes of Austin, he stabilized a new lineup with guitarist Renan McFarland, bassist Alex Gehring, and drummer Dustin Gaudet. Ringo Deathstarr’s self-titled debut, a five-song EP, was released by the British label SVC Records in the fall of 2007. After a few more years of playing shows, shuffling members before settling on a core of Frazier, Gehring, and drummer Daniel Coborn, and honing their sound, the band was signed by the U.K. label AC30 after making a big splash at their Reverence Festival in 2010. The band’s first album, Colour Trip, was released by AC30 in the winter of 2010, and was licensed by Sonic Unyon for release in Canada. They next issued a compilation of previously released tracks, 2011’s Sparkler, and went on tour opening for Smashing Pumpkins, before returning with the Shadow EP in early 2012. Later that year, the group issued their second full-length album, Mauve, which displayed some newfound power and a streamlined production job by Frazier.
An EP, God’s Dream, followed in 2013, then they released Pure Mood on Club AC30/Reverberation Appreciation Society in late 2015. On it the band expanded their sound by adding in poppier, lighter elements, while at the same time making the heavier bits even heavier. After the album’s release, the band spent their time with real-life concerns and touring — including a trip to Japan in 2019 — then returned with a self-titled album in 2020 that saw them experimenting further with dream pop textures. ~ Stewart Mason, Rovi
