Young Widows

Young Widows are a Louisville, Kentucky-based band whose sound has evolved from angular post-hardcore to moody, atmospheric rock influenced by post-punk and gothic folk. The group was founded in 2006 by former members of post-hardcore group <a href="spotify:artist:03CrYMOLqM5U2sBEMj1JbU">Breather Resist</a>, and their debut album Settle Down City maintained elements of that group's sound, but was less metallic and closer to noise-rock groups like <a href="spotify:artist:6r26MaDr8bqNALjXgYPXMa">the Jesus Lizard</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:6I8R5MFTlez7rHCsH4cx0u">Shellac</a>. The group continued to refine their sound, gradually slowing down and spacing out while maintaining a sense of brooding aggression on subsequent albums like 2011's In and Out of Youth and Lightness and 2014's Easy Pain.

Though singer Steve Sindoni amicably parted ways with Louisville, Kentucky's <a href="spotify:artist:03CrYMOLqM5U2sBEMj1JbU">Breather Resist</a> in December 2005, the remaining members -- guitarist Evan Patterson (formerly of <a href="spotify:artist:6N3YxxpbnnheZygfLyVpwB">Black Cross</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:4xG0YMkhTqGTqJ8FiiFfwo">the National Acrobat</a>, and various other Louisville bands), bassist Nick Thieneman, and drummer Geoff Paton -- weren't yet ready to throw in the towel. They pressed on and chose not to replace Sindoni, with Patterson picking up the main vocal duties. The trio entered the studio the following April with intentions to record <a href="spotify:artist:03CrYMOLqM5U2sBEMj1JbU">Breather Resist</a>'s second album. But when the resulting music was not quite the metallic hardcore aggression of their past, the guys consequently decided to retire <a href="spotify:artist:03CrYMOLqM5U2sBEMj1JbU">Breather Resist</a> and its accompanying discography altogether, forging ahead instead with a new identity, sound, and name: Young Widows.

Taking influence for their dark, reverb-heavy noise rock and moody post-punk grooves from bands like <a href="spotify:artist:1tDVFf78uiEH5T72O94HEv">Hoover</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:6r26MaDr8bqNALjXgYPXMa">the Jesus Lizard</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:6I8R5MFTlez7rHCsH4cx0u">Shellac</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:6aVjo0xHSiuW5hkasoYSR3">the Melvins</a>, their debut, Settle Down City, was issued on <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Jade+Tree%22">Jade Tree</a> in September 2006. About two weeks of nationwide dates preceded its release, and the band headed to Europe soon after with Seattle's <a href="spotify:artist:5NHf5lUOdg12rZJvQzsz8W">Akimbo</a>. Two years after their debut, after Paton had been replaced by drummer Jeremy McMonigle, Old Wounds found the band teaming up with producer Kurt Ballou, who compiled the album from live performances on the road and in studio performances. Citing a lack of interest from <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Jade+Tree%22">Jade Tree</a>, the band switched to <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Temporary+Residence%22">Temporary Residence</a> before releasing the album in September of 2008. In 2009, the group released a series of split singles with acts ranging from <a href="spotify:artist:2zAvisjImPICTNsRgagqlV">Bonnie Prince Billy</a> to <a href="spotify:artist:1aDpQ3bo57IlYWmsG5sdlp">Melt-Banana</a>. A limited LP, Live Radio Performance April 6, 2009, was issued by <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Robotic+Empire%22">Robotic Empire</a> in 2010.

The band's tastes gravitated toward mellow bands like <a href="spotify:artist:0k17h0D3J5VfsdmQ1iZtE9">Pink Floyd</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:2ajVJyxI4sHmTMtTA3ENko">Smog</a> over the next few years, which influenced the slower pace of 2011's In and Out of Youth and Lightness and the dark and spacious sound of 2014's Easy Pain. In 2018, Young Widows released Decayed: Ten Years of Cities, Wounds, Lightness, and Pain, which compiled non-album material from throughout the band's career. ~ Corey Apar & Paul Simpson, Rovi