Dead Pioneers is guitarists Josh Rivera and Abe Brennan, drummer Shane Zweygardt and bassist Lee Tesche (also in Algiers), with Gregg Deal on vocals. Their debut self-titled album was self-released until last fall when they signed to Hassle Records who re-released the LP.
Frontman Deal is an artist and activist and a member of the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe. Much of his work includes exhaustive critiques of American colonialism, society, politics, popular culture and history. With this work – including paintings, murals and performance art – Deal critically examines issues within Indian country such as decolonisation, stereotype and appropriation. He has exhibited his work at cultural centres nationally and internationally, including the Smithsonian Institution and the Venice Biennale.
After living in the Washington DC area for 17 years, Deal moved his family to Colorado, coinciding with his time as Native Arts Artist-In-Residence at the Denver Art Museum. The band originated from a 2020 performance art piece titled The Punk Pan-Indian Romantic Comedy, a deeply personal one-man show that explored themes of music, personal experiences, and meaningful connections. A grant allowed Gregg Deal to expand the project, incorporating original music crafted specifically for the performance.
Dead Pioneers self-titled debut, coming in at a lithe 22 minutes with only one of the twelve tracks exceeding three minutes, is almost over before it begins, but covers a huge amount of ground in that time.
Publicity Contacts
Website
Press Kit
Photos
