Dashboard Confessional

Dashboard Confessional
Company type	Band
Industry	Music
Founded	1999 in Boca Raton, Florida, United States
Founder	Chris Carrabba
Headquarters	Boca Raton, United States
Products	Music albums, live performances

Dashboard Confessional is an American band rooted in the emo genre, originating from Boca Raton, Florida in 1999 and fronted by vocalist Chris Carrabba. The band's name is inspired by the track "The Sharp Hint of New Tears" from their initial release, The Swiss Army Romance.

Formation and Early Years (1999–2002)

Dashboard Confessional began as Chris Carrabba's solo endeavor with the 2000 debut album The Swiss Army Romance, created while he was still involved with Further Seems Forever. After recording their first album, The Moon Is Down, Carrabba departed prior to its release to concentrate on Dashboard Confessional. He then issued his second solo album, The Places You Have Come to Fear the Most, along with the EP So Impossible under the Dashboard Confessional name.

By 2002, the project expanded to include three additional members. Following the success of his sophomore album, Carrabba appeared on MTV Unplugged, which led to the live album MTV Unplugged 2.0 showcasing full-band performances. That same year, the music video for "Screaming Infidelities" earned the MTV2 Award at the MTV Video Music Awards, triumphing over artists such as Norah Jones and The Strokes. The video featured Carrabba himself and was directed by Maureen Egan and Matthew Barry.

A Mark, a Mission, a Brand, a Scar Era (2003–2005)

In 2003, Dashboard Confessional released their third studio album, A Mark, a Mission, a Brand, a Scar, which reached No. 2 on the US Billboard charts, becoming their highest-charting record to that point. During the autumn of that year, they toured alongside Brand New.

During summer 2004, Dashboard Confessional recorded "Vindicated" for the soundtrack of Spider-Man 2, which was played during the film’s closing credits. This exposure broadened their reach prior to releasing their next album, Dusk and Summer, in the following summer. Although "Vindicated" was not part of A Mark, a Mission, a Brand, a Scar, it was included in most editions and deluxe versions of Dusk and Summer.

Dusk and Summer Period (2005–2006)

In May 2005, Dashboard Confessional entered recording sessions with producer Daniel Lanois to create their fourth album, Dusk and Summer, which was released on June 27, 2006. The album’s lead single was "Don't Wait". After its release, they embarked on a U.S. tour with support from Say Anything and Ben Lee, followed by a co-headlining arena tour with Brand New.

The Shade of Poison Trees Phase (2007–2009)

Dashboard Confessional followed up with The Shade of Poison Trees in 2007. This record revisited the acoustic sound characteristic of earlier works like The Swiss Army Romance and The Places You Have Come to Fear the Most.

Alter the Ending and Reissue of The Swiss Army Romance (2009–2010)

Work on their sixth studio album, Alter the Ending, commenced in 2008. Chris Carrabba described this project as developing into a concept album with a unified theme.

On February 14, 2009, Carrabba offered "Even Now (Acoustic Version)" as a complimentary download to promote the forthcoming release. By June of that year, sequencing for the album was underway, indicating progress toward completion.

In August 2009, Dashboard Confessional contributed "Finishing School" to the soundtrack of the dark comedy film Jennifer's Body, although this track did not appear on Alter the Ending.

Carrabba announced via Twitter on September 10, 2009, that Alter the Ending, comprising 12 tracks presented as a double-disc featuring both full-band and acoustic versions, would be released on November 10, 2009. Plans for touring with New Found Glory and Never Shout Never were disrupted due to a family emergency that led to cancellation of most shows except for a November 7 performance accompanied by the Louisville Orchestra. In lieu of this tour, Carrabba and John Lefler embarked on a 13-date acoustic tour with New Found Glory starting November 30.

In 2010, Dashboard Confessional supported Bon Jovi during their Circle Tour. On July 31 of that year, Carrabba performed at Pikes Peak for a cancer research fundraiser organized by Love Hope Strength Foundation and Health ONE Pikes Peak Rocks.

On October 4, 2010, it was revealed that The Swiss Army Romance would be reissued as a deluxe vinyl edition set for release on November 16. Limited to just 1,000 copies, this box set included remastered audio tracks, expanded artwork, handwritten lyrics sheets, previously unreleased photographs, guitar picks, and a commemorative tour laminate housed within packaging styled like a Swiss army knife case. The following day marked the beginning of Carrabba’s solo tour performing the entire album live in celebration of its tenth anniversary. On December 1, Chris Conley from Saves the Day joined as primary support for West Coast dates along with three-piece band Lady Danville.

Additional ventures, Crooked Shadows era (2011–2018)

Following the release of Alter the Ending, Chris Carrabba pursued a range of creative outlets, including the 2011 solo cover album Covered in the Flood. In the years that followed, he dedicated time to touring, collaborating with various artists, and exploring artistic endeavors such as painting and fashion design.

In October 2017, Carrabba revealed that Dashboard Confessional was working on their seventh studio album. Subsequently, on November 15, it was announced that Crooked Shadows would be released on February 9, 2018, via Fueled by Ramen.

Reissues and 20th anniversary celebrations (2019–2020)

Dashboard Confessional revisited their earlier work in 2019 by re-recording three albums—Dusk and Summer, Alter the Ending, and A Mark, a Mission, a Brand, a Scar—compiled into a triple LP entitled Now Is Then Is Now.

In 2020, the band embarked on a 20th anniversary tour spotlighting tracks from their initial albums The Places You Have Come to Fear the Most and A Mark, A Mission, A Brand, A Scar. On January 31 of that year, they issued a greatest hits collection named The Best Ones of the Best Ones. Unfortunately, the tour was cut short due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lonely Hearts & Lovers Valentine's Day livestreams (2021–2022)

Following Carrabba's recovery from a motorcycle accident in 2020, Dashboard Confessional presented a pre-recorded livestream titled Lonely Hearts & Lovers on February 14, 2021. This 19-track performance was captured in stunning 4K ultra HD at Nashville's Riverside Revival Church. A year later, in February 2022, they released another Valentine's Day stream filmed amid Southern California gardens featuring a setlist of 12 songs.

All The Truth That I Can Tell period (2022–present)

Dashboard Confessional unveiled their ninth studio album, All The Truth That I Can Tell, in February 2022. Shortly after, they launched the 'Surviving the Truth Tour' alongside Jimmy Eat World beginning February 27. In April, the band announced the Hello Gone Days co-headlining tour with Andrew McMahon In The Wilderness scheduled from July 31 through September 7. This tour included support from Cartel, The Juliana Theory, and Armor for Sleep. Notably, former member John Lefler filled in for Armon Jay during their Dallas performance.

During summer 2023, Dashboard Confessional toured across the United States with Counting Crows as part of the Banshee Season Tour.

Musical style and influences

Dashboard Confessional's sound is primarily rooted in emo, incorporating aspects of alternative rock, indie rock, and acoustic rock. Their musical inspirations span artists such as Fugazi, Minor Threat, Descendents, Guy Clark, the Beach Boys, Bruce Springsteen, Superchunk, the Cure, Jawbreaker, R.E.M., Operation Ivy, the Smiths, Counting Crows, Morrissey, Paul Simon, Steve Earle, Green Day, Elvis Costello, the Promise Ring, Sunny Day Real Estate, Mineral, Sick of It All, and Weezer.

Their initial recordings are characterized by "intimate, reflective solo expressions" paired with "rawly honest" lyrics that focus on emotional sincerity and forging deep connections with listeners.

Current

Chris Carrabba – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, piano, keyboards (1999–present), lead guitar (1999–2002)
Scott Schoenbeck – bass guitar (2003–present), piano, keyboards (2015–present)
Armon Jay – lead guitar, backing vocals (2015–present)
Chris Kamrada – drums, percussion (2017–present)
Kenny Bridges – guitar, piano, keyboards, backing vocals, percussion (2022–present)
Abigail Kelly – backing vocals (2021–present)

Former

James Paul Wisner – keyboards, piano (2000)
Dan Bonebrake – bass guitar, backing vocals (2000–2003)
John Ralston – guitar (2000, 2002, 2006)
Jerry Castellanos – guitar, backing vocals (2001–2004)
Mike Marsh – drums, percussion, backing vocals (2001–2015)
John Lefler – lead guitar, piano, keyboards, backing vocals (2002–2015)
Susan Sherouse – violin (2006)
Mike Stroud – strings (2007)
Andrew Marshall – guitar (2007)
Ben Homola – drums, percussion (2015–2017)
Dane Poppin – guitar, piano, keyboards, backing vocals, percussion (2017–2022)

John Lefler

John C. Lefler (born March 18, 1975) is an American musician known for songwriting, singing, guitar playing, and piano performance. He was a member of Dashboard Confessional before transitioning to freelance graphic design work in 2012.

Hailing from Sugar Land, Texas, Lefler completed a fine arts degree at the University of Texas at Austin in 1997. He began his journey with the guitar in 1989 and soon after took up piano. Motivated to compose music at 18 after viewing the John Lennon biographical film Imagine, he cultivated his musical abilities despite minimal formal piano education.

Lefler became part of Dashboard Confessional in 2002 and contributed to their MTV Unplugged album shortly thereafter. He chose to depart from the band when they entered hiatus in 2010.

In 2005, alongside his brothers, Lefler launched the alternative-country group The Wimbledons in Los Angeles and released The Wimbledons EP under his own label Goodhang Records. Drawing inspiration from bands like Jellyfish, Ben Folds, Crowded House, and U2, he released his solo project Better By Design in June 2009 with co-production by Salim Nourallah and Rip Rowan. His follow-up EP Shoutfire, produced by his brother Bill Lefler, came out in 2012.

Additionally, Lefler co-created the yacht rock tribute ensemble Captain and Camille with Camille Cortinas and seven musicians from the Dallas region, broadening his live performance reach.

Discography

Studio albums

The Swiss Army Romance (2000)
The Places You Have Come to Fear the Most (2001)
A Mark, a Mission, a Brand, a Scar (2003)
Dusk and Summer (2006)
The Shade of Poison Trees (2007)
Alter the Ending (2009)
Crooked Shadows (2018)
All the Truth That I Can Tell (2022)

External links