...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead
Encyclopedia
…And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead (often abbreviated as Trail of Dead) is an American alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...

 band from Austin
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...

, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

. The chief creative members of the band are Jason Reece
Jason Reece
Jason Reece is a member of Austin, TX rock band ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead, pulling double duties as both drummer and part-time frontman.-Biography:...

 and Conrad Keely
Conrad Keely
Conrad Keely is a British-born, American musician, known primarily as the lead singer for the rock band ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead. He is also an artist and writer...

 (formerly Conrad Sobsamai). The two switch between drumming, guitar and lead vocals, both on recordings and live shows. The band is known for their wild, energetic concerts, which often end with the band destroying their equipment. Their seventh studio album, Tao of the Dead
Tao of the Dead
Tao of the Dead is the seventh studio album by Texas rock band ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead. The first single, "Summer of All Dead Souls", was posted on Spin.com on November 11, 2010, and later on Soundcloud. The digital single released officially on November 29...

, was released in February 2011.

Formation

Keely and Reece have been friends since their youth; they met originally in Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...

. They each formed their first band in 1993, soon after moving to Olympia
Olympia, Washington
Olympia is the capital city of the U.S. state of Washington and the county seat of Thurston County. It was incorporated on January 28, 1859. The population was 46,478 at the 2010 census...

, Washington, where Keely studied at The Evergreen State College
The Evergreen State College
The Evergreen State College is an accredited public liberal arts college and a member of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges. It is located in Olympia, Washington, USA. Founded in 1967, Evergreen was formed to be an experimental and non-traditional college...

. Keely started a band called Benedict Gehlen that lasted only a year. Nancyville was Keely's next project, though it also was short-lived. Reece played drums with Honeybucket and then queercore
Queercore
Queercore is a cultural and social movement that began in the mid-1980s as an offshoot of punk. It is distinguished by being discontent with society in general and its rejection of the disapproval of the gay, bisexual, and lesbian communities and their "oppressive agenda"...

 band Mukilteo Fairies (the name is a play on words, referencing the ferry boat that travels between Mukilteo and Clinton, Washington) while living in Olympia. The two moved to Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...

 and started playing as a duo under the moniker You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead. The band expanded to include guitarist Kevin Allen and bassist Neil Busch. They then officially lengthened their name to ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead. Conrad's girlfriend from Olympia, Deanne Rowley (later Deanne McAdams), briefly played with them as a live back-up guitarist.

According to the band's website, their name is taken from an ancient Mayan
Maya civilization
The Maya is a Mesoamerican civilization, noted for the only known fully developed written language of the pre-Columbian Americas, as well as for its art, architecture, and mathematical and astronomical systems. Initially established during the Pre-Classic period The Maya is a Mesoamerican...

 ritual chant, which shows a striking similarity to an ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...

ian chant. This explanation, however, is said to be merely an ongoing joke.

Rise and success (1995–2006)

By 1995, they had issued their first release (one song on cassette-only compilation called Austin Live Houses), followed by another self-titled four-song cassette on Golden Hour, and in January 1998 a self-titled
...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead (album)
-Personnel:*Richard McIntosh – Photography*Dave McNair – Mixing*Chris "Frenchie" Smith – Producer*Mike McCarthy – Engineer*Kevin Allen – Producer*Jason Reece – Producer*Conrad Keely – Producer, Cover Design...

 full-length on Trance Syndicate
Trance Syndicate
Trance Syndicate was an independent record label founded in 1990 by King Coffey, drummer of Austin, TX band the Butthole Surfers.. Its first release was Crust's The Sacred Heart of Crust EP...

.

Trail of Dead soon moved on to Merge Records
Merge Records
Merge Records is an independent record label based in Durham, North Carolina. It was founded in 1989 by Laura Ballance and Mac McCaughan. It began as a way to release music from their band Superchunk and music created by friends, and has expanded to include artists from around the world and records...

 after the Trance label folded. The band released Madonna on Merge in late 1999, and toured the U.S. opening for labelmates Superchunk
Superchunk
Superchunk is an American indie rock band from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, consisting of singer/guitarist Mac McCaughan, guitarist Jim Wilbur, bassist Laura Ballance, and drummer Jon Wurster. Formed in 1989, they were one of the bands that helped define the Chapel Hill music scene of the 1990s...

 to promote it. They signed to Interscope Records
Interscope Records
Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that currently operates as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-History:...

 and released the Relative Ways
Relative Ways
Relative Ways is an EP released by the band ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead for Interscope Records. The 4-song EP was released in late 2001, setting the stage for the early 2002 release of their first major-label full-length Source Tags & Codes.-Track listings:-External links:* *...

 EP in 2001.

In early 2002, the Trail of Dead released Source Tags & Codes
Source Tags & Codes
Source Tags & Codes is the third full-length album and major-label debut of ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead on Interscope Records. It was released to wide critical acclaim in early 2002 and is generally considered their finest work...

, which received universal acclaim, including a 10/10 rating from Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...

, later saying it is "one of indie rock's truly epic albums". Their following tour was chronicled by Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...

, with Andrew Dansby commenting on their group dynamic as a "post-punk
Post-punk
Post-punk is a rock music movement with its roots in the late 1970s, following on the heels of the initial punk rock explosion of the mid-1970s. The genre retains its roots in the punk movement but is more introverted, complex and experimental...

 Voltron
Voltron
Voltron is the titular super robot of an anime series that features a team of young pilots, known as the Voltron Force. The team’s individual vehicles join together to form the giant super robot, with which they defend the galaxy from evil...

, that just might be the most exciting unit working today."

A follow-up EP to Source Tags & Codes was released in April 2003, titled The Secret of Elena's Tomb
The Secret of Elena's Tomb
The Secret of Elena's Tomb is the EP follow up to Source Tags & Codes by Austin, TX band ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead. The title is inspired by the story of Carl Tanzler.-Track listing:#"Mach Schau" – 3:49#"All St...

. The EP featured contained the electronic track "Intelligence" which featured, and was co-written by, Tyler Jacobson from A Roman Scandal
A Roman Scandal
A Roman Scandal was a synth pop band from Austin, Texas active from 1999 through 2001. Members included Tyler Jacobsen , Sean O'Neal A Roman Scandal was a synth pop band from Austin, Texas active from 1999 through 2001. Members included Tyler Jacobsen (from Denim and Diamonds and OMD 20/20), Sean...

, Reece's other band.

In July 2004 it was announced that Neil Busch was ejected from the band and Danny Wood had taken his place on bass. Second drummer/percussionist Doni Schroader also joined the band around this time. Trail of Dead released Worlds Apart on January 25, 2005. Music videos were filmed for singles "And the Rest Will Follow" and "Caterwaul". The band also added live keyboardist David Longoria to their touring lineup. Now a six-piece, the band toured heavily on the album, with its trademark explosive live performances and a two-drummer attack. Opening for part of this tour was Longoria's band The Black
The Black
The Black is a rock band from Austin, Texas that formed in 2002 when singer/songwriter David Longoria began collaborating with drummer Andy Morales...

, which featured Longoria on vocals and guitarist Alan Schaefer, with the rest of TOD filling out the group. The band's fifth album, So Divided
So Divided
So Divided is an album by ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead released on November 14, 2006. It saw the band continuing to expand its sound, along the lines of its predecessor Worlds Apart....

, was released on November 14, 2006. Clay Morris replaced Longoria as live keyboardist, and eventually became a full-time member.

Post-Interscope era (2007–present)

In late summer of 2007, the Trail of Dead once again toured Europe, this time with drummer Aaron Ford replacing Doni Schroader. Danny Wood was absent from these performances, having quietly left the band. He would eventually be replaced by Jay Leo Phillips
Apollo Up!
Apollo Up! is a post-punk or pop-punk indie music band based in Nashville, Tennessee, chronologically aligned with the post-punk revival of the early 21st century. Billboard.com describes the band as post-hardcore: "cerebral but impassioned," with tricky song structures and unexpected dynamic shifts...

. The band provided the soundtrack to the 2007 film Hell on Wheels, a documentary about the formation of Roller Derby
Roller derby
Roller derby is a contact sport played by two teams of five members roller skating in the same direction around a track. Game play consists of a series of short matchups in which both teams designate a scoring player who scores points by lapping members of the opposing team...

 in Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...

. After their overseas tour ended on March 15, 2007, the Trail of Dead returned to the studio to begin recording their sixth record. In October they supported the virtual band Dethklok
Dethklok
Dethklok is both a virtual band featured in the Adult Swim animated program Metalocalypse, as well as a real band created to perform the band's melodic death metal music in live shows. The band was created by Brendon Small and Tommy Blacha. The music heard on Metalocalypse is performed by Brendon...

 on an Adult Swim
Adult Swim
Adult Swim is an adult-oriented Cable network that shares channel space with Cartoon Network from 9:00 pm until 6:00 am ET/PT in the United States, and broadcasts in countries such as Australia and New Zealand...

 college tour. In that same month, the band became independent, having left Interscope Records
Interscope Records
Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that currently operates as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-History:...

 after lack of support.

In early 2008, Trail of Dead went back into the studio, without a record contract. Using their own capital, they filmed their recording experiences and released them on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....

. On October 21, they released an EP, resembling an "album teaser", titled Festival Thyme
Festival Thyme
Festival Thyme is an EP precursor to the full-length album The Century of Self by the American art-rock band ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead...

 on Richter Scale Records. On February 17, 2009, a 13-track album, The Century of Self
The Century of Self
The Century of Self is the sixth album by ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead.-Production and release:This is the first full-length release from Trail of Dead after their Interscope contract...

 was released. In September 2010, Conrad Keely posted news of an upcoming album 2011 release, produced by Chris "Frenchie" Smith
Chris "Frenchie" Smith
Chris "Frenchie" Smith , is a Grammy-nominated American record producer, guitarist, rock 'n' roll musician, and songwriter.- Biography :...

, with an accompanying comic book. Frenchie Smith is also set to re-mix their debut eponymous album. On November 10, 2010, it was announced that their seventh album, Tao of the Dead
Tao of the Dead
Tao of the Dead is the seventh studio album by Texas rock band ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead. The first single, "Summer of All Dead Souls", was posted on Spin.com on November 11, 2010, and later on Soundcloud. The digital single released officially on November 29...

, would be released in North America on February 8, 2011. It was also revealed that the band had stripped down to a core four-piece, and that Jay Phillips, Clay Morris and longtime guitarist Kevin Allen had been removed from the lineup. Circumstances of these departures are currently unknown. Aaron Ford recorded all of the drums for Tao of the Dead
Tao of the Dead
Tao of the Dead is the seventh studio album by Texas rock band ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead. The first single, "Summer of All Dead Souls", was posted on Spin.com on November 11, 2010, and later on Soundcloud. The digital single released officially on November 29...

, but is not touring with the band to promote the album. The band performed live on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jimmy Fallon on NBC. The show premiered on March 2, 2009, as the third incarnation of the Late Night franchise originated by David Letterman....

 on February 7, 2011, debuting bassist Autry Fulbright II and drummer Jamie Miller. On February 17, 2011, it was announced that Jason Reece would guest host
Guest host
A guest host is a host, usually of a talk show, that substitutes for the regular host if they are, for example, ill or have other commitments...

 Toby Ryan's radio show on Austin's KROX-FM
KROX-FM
KROX-FM, aka 101X, is an alternative rock terrestrial radio station in Austin, Texas, United States.-History:101X signed on as "Austin's New Rock Alternative" on June 8, 1995....

 (101X).

Current lineup

  • Conrad Keely
    Conrad Keely
    Conrad Keely is a British-born, American musician, known primarily as the lead singer for the rock band ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead. He is also an artist and writer...

     – vocals, guitar, drums, piano
  • Jason Reece
    Jason Reece
    Jason Reece is a member of Austin, TX rock band ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead, pulling double duties as both drummer and part-time frontman.-Biography:...

     – drums, vocals, guitar
  • Autry Fulbright II – bass, vocals
  • Jamie Miller – percussion, guitar

Former members

  • Kevin Allen (guitar)
  • Neil Busch
    Neil Busch
    Neil Busch was the bassist and sampler/sound manipulator for rock band ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead up until his departure in July 2004.In 2004, Neil was replaced immediately after his departure by bassist Danny Wood, from the Rise...

     (bass)
  • Danny Wood (bass)
  • Doni Schroader (percussion)
  • David Longoria (keyboard)
  • Jay Leo Phillips
    Apollo Up!
    Apollo Up! is a post-punk or pop-punk indie music band based in Nashville, Tennessee, chronologically aligned with the post-punk revival of the early 21st century. Billboard.com describes the band as post-hardcore: "cerebral but impassioned," with tricky song structures and unexpected dynamic shifts...

     (bass)
  • Clay Morris (keyboard)
  • Aaron Ford (percussion)

Albums

Year Album UK  US
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...

 
GER
Media Control Charts
The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie...

 
Label
1998 ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead
...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead (album)
-Personnel:*Richard McIntosh – Photography*Dave McNair – Mixing*Chris "Frenchie" Smith – Producer*Mike McCarthy – Engineer*Kevin Allen – Producer*Jason Reece – Producer*Conrad Keely – Producer, Cover Design...

 
Trance Syndicate
Trance Syndicate
Trance Syndicate was an independent record label founded in 1990 by King Coffey, drummer of Austin, TX band the Butthole Surfers.. Its first release was Crust's The Sacred Heart of Crust EP...

1999 Madonna  Merge Records
Merge Records
Merge Records is an independent record label based in Durham, North Carolina. It was founded in 1989 by Laura Ballance and Mac McCaughan. It began as a way to release music from their band Superchunk and music created by friends, and has expanded to include artists from around the world and records...

2002 Source Tags & Codes
Source Tags & Codes
Source Tags & Codes is the third full-length album and major-label debut of ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead on Interscope Records. It was released to wide critical acclaim in early 2002 and is generally considered their finest work...

 
73 64 Interscope Records
Interscope Records
Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that currently operates as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-History:...

2005 Worlds Apart  92 88 40 Interscope Records
2006 So Divided
So Divided
So Divided is an album by ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead released on November 14, 2006. It saw the band continuing to expand its sound, along the lines of its predecessor Worlds Apart....

 
190 188 72 Interscope Records
2009 The Century of Self
The Century of Self
The Century of Self is the sixth album by ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead.-Production and release:This is the first full-length release from Trail of Dead after their Interscope contract...

 
169 38 Richter Scale/Justice Records
2011 Tao of the Dead
Tao of the Dead
Tao of the Dead is the seventh studio album by Texas rock band ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead. The first single, "Summer of All Dead Souls", was posted on Spin.com on November 11, 2010, and later on Soundcloud. The digital single released officially on November 29...

 
NA NA 18 Richter Scale/Superball Music
Superball music
Superball Music is a German independent record label, launched on 1 October 2007. Superball Myspace page claims that "The label’s focus will be on keen, young rock acts with a stylistic range that is centred on independent and alternative music, as well as acts that transcend genres and include a...


Singles

  • 2000: "Mistakes & Regrets" UK #69
  • 2002: "Another Morning Stoner" UK #54
  • 2002: "Relative Ways"
  • 2004: "Worlds Apart"
  • 2005: "The Rest Will Follow"
  • 2006: "A Classic Art Showcase" UK Download
    UK Official Download Chart
    The UK Official Download Chart is compiled by The Official UK Charts Company on behalf of the music industry. The chart week runs from Sunday to Saturday, with the chart being published on a Wednesday afternoon, so as to not to clash with the release of the main UK Singles Chart...

     #49
  • 2006: "Wasted State of Mind"
  • 2009: "Isis Unveiled" (Radio Edit) promo only for radio stations (e.g. Germany
    Germany
    Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

    )
  • 2010: "Summer of All Dead Souls"

EPs

  • Self-titled CD-R (October 1998, self-released) (Limited edition of 60 copies; all three songs would later appear on Madonna)
  • Relative Ways
    Relative Ways
    Relative Ways is an EP released by the band ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead for Interscope Records. The 4-song EP was released in late 2001, setting the stage for the early 2002 release of their first major-label full-length Source Tags & Codes.-Track listings:-External links:* *...

     (November 6, 2001)
  • The Secret of Elena's Tomb
    The Secret of Elena's Tomb
    The Secret of Elena's Tomb is the EP follow up to Source Tags & Codes by Austin, TX band ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead. The title is inspired by the story of Carl Tanzler.-Track listing:#"Mach Schau" – 3:49#"All St...

     (April 1, 2003)
  • Worlds Apart - EP (October 12, 2004)
  • Festival Thyme
    Festival Thyme
    Festival Thyme is an EP precursor to the full-length album The Century of Self by the American art-rock band ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead...

    (October 21, 2008)

Music videos

  • "Mistakes & Regrets"
  • "Relative Ways"
  • "Another Morning Stoner"
  • "All St. Day" (on the Worlds Apart bonus DVD)
  • "The Rest Will Follow"
  • "Caterwaul"
  • "Naked Sun" (Edit)
  • "Isis Unveiled" (Radio Edit)
  • "Summer of all Dead Souls"

External links

(US)
    • http://www.trailofdead.org
    • http://www.trailofdead.co.uk
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