Bio: "Beauty of style and harmony and grace and good rhythm depend on simplicity." --Plato Welcome to Dignan. Meet 5 friends from McAllen, Texas:: Andy, Devin, Trey, Heidi and Davy. Meet their auroral melodies, their poetic percussion, and their ethereal lyrics. Meet their shy smiles as they glance downward when asked why they play music together. "This is our community. This is how we show love." Not long ago, these youthful artists were high school students, negotiating the maze of adolescence and self-discovery. Rather than pursue the typical channels of rebellion, however, original band members Andy and Devin chose to spend late nights in the local church sanctuary with their guitars. Drinking Pepsi and writing songs until 5: 00am, the young duo began to develop a sound that would eventually transcend their age and experience. Credit the holy architecture and acoustics, credit the sleep deprivation, credit their need to deal with their circumstances; it was in the wee hours that Dignan was born. Like most young bands, member turnover was high towards the beginning. Andy and Devin played with a number of friends from their hometown before finally recruiting Trey, whom they had met while he was drumming for another band, and Davy, who originally sold and managed merchandise for the band. After befriending Heidi, the only non-Texan in the group, the band was complete. Between the five of them, Dignan brought an extremely eclectic list of musical influence to the table. Ranging from Broken Social Scene and Arcade Fire, to grandparents who specialize in lounge music, to their hometown of McAllen with a 95% Hispanic population, the band had a wide variety of experiences and sounds in their repertoire to choose from. Feeling free to explore, the band began to incorporate an array of different instruments into their songs. What emerged was an array of melodies that brood over love, loss, angst, and crime. Playing primarily in Texas, the band built up a strong local following in the lone star state early on in their career. In 2007, the band recorded their first EP, the guest, releasing it on the indie label Bearded Beauty. They also began touring nationally, and by early 2008, had 3 cross-country runs under their belt. The band is currently working on writing and recording new songs, as well as playing with bands like Ra Ra Riot and Colour Revolt. In the world of complicated musicians, dynamics, and aspirations, Dignan keeps it simple. They love making music, and they love the music they make. As L.I. Wilder said, it is the sweet, simple things of life that are the real ones after all.
http://schedule.sxsw.com/events/event_MS11722
