Despistado | |
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Origin | Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada |
Genres | indie rock |
Years active | 2001–2004, 2013-present |
Labels | Jade Tree |
Past members | Dagan Harding Leif Thorseth Joel Passmore Brenan Schwartz |
Despistado was a Canadian indie rock band from Regina, Saskatchewan.
Despistado was active from 2001 to 2004. The band consisted of vocalist and guitarist Dagan Harding, guitarist Leif Thorseth, bassist Joel Passmore and drummer Brenan Schwartz.
Despistado released their first EP, The Emergency Response, in 2002 (produced by David j Taylor); it was subsequently re-released in 2004 on Jade Tree Records. Widely hyped as a "next big thing", the band's single "A Stirstick's Prediction" was used in a commercial for T-Mobile. After many cross-Canada tours in 2004 which reportedly left the band exhausted and riven by personal tensions, they returned home to prepare for an international tour in the fall; due to family obligations, Passmore declined to participate in the fall tour through the United States with The Weakerthans, and was temporarily replaced by Robin Sernich. On that tour, the interpersonal dynamics within the band continued to deteriorate, and by Christmas the band had broken up. Their full-length album The People of and Their Verses, completed before the band's breakup, was subsequently released on Jade Tree in 2005.
Passmore is currently in the bands Sylvie and Rah Rah; Harding released his first solo album "Best Times" under his own name, as well as playing with Thorseth in the band Geronimo and collaborating together on new material; and Schwartz played with Anatta prior to that band's breakup and currently plays in the band Porticoast.
The band undertook a brief reunion tour in 2009. They again reunited in 2013 for a tour of Western Canada, performing some new material during the latter tour. The band have planned for a vinyl reissue of The People of and Their Verses, and have acknowledged but not yet officially confirmed to the media the possibility of recording a new album in the future.