Death from Above 1979

Death from Above 1979
Industry	Music
Founded	2001
Founder	Jesse F. Keeler, Sebastien Grainger
Defunct	2006 (first disbandment)
Fate	Reunited in 2011
Headquarters	Toronto, Canada
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	Jesse F. Keeler, Sebastien Grainger
Products	Music albums, singles
Number of employees	2 (members)
Website	deathfromabove1979.com

Death from Above 1979—also referred to as Death from Above or DFA 1979—is a Canadian rock duo originating from Toronto, Ontario, featuring bassist Jesse F. Keeler alongside drummer and vocalist Sebastien Grainger. Established in 2001, they launched their first full-length record, You're a Woman, I'm a Machine, in 2004 before disbanding two years later in 2006. The pair reunited in 2011 and have since produced three additional albums: The Physical World (2014), Outrage! Is Now (2017), and Is 4 Lovers (2021).

Formation and Heads Up (2001–2003)

The origins of Grainger and Keeler’s meeting vary in accounts, including meeting at a Sonic Youth show or through Keeler’s search for a drummer for his hardcore punk project Femme Fatale. In a 2021 interview, Keeler recounted that following a canceled Detroit gig in 2001, he invited Grainger to experiment with his stored bass equipment, which led to the creation of Death from Above 1979.

Their initial release was the EP Heads Up, which came out on December 15, 2002.

You're a Woman, I'm a Machine and break up (2004–2006)

Between February and April 2004, the duo recorded their debut album You're a Woman, I'm a Machine at The Chemical Sound studio in Toronto, supplemented by additional sessions at Studio Plateau in Montreal. The production was mainly handled by Al-P, with Drew Malamud engineering the Montreal recordings. The album was officially released in October 2004. To support the release, three singles were launched: "Romantic Rights" in November 2004, "Blood on Our Hands" in February 2005, and "Black History Month" in June 2005. Notably, the video for "Blood on Our Hands" earned a VideoFACT award at the MuchMusic Video Awards.

In 2004, after receiving a cease and desist notice from James Murphy’s label, Death From Above Records, the band appended "1979" to their name to comply legally while maintaining part of their original identity. During an appearance on MuchMusic's The New Music, Keeler attributed their breakup to creative and stylistic conflicts with Grainger.

Reunion and The Physical World (2011–2016)

On February 4, 2011, Death from Above 1979 announced their official reunion and performed live for the first time in over five years at Coachella on April 17, 2011. They also revealed plans for a global tour scheduled for summer that year.

A new track was unveiled during their set at EdgeFest on July 14, 2012, in Toronto. Subsequently, on September 18, they announced a Canadian tour and shared that fresh material had been composed but required live testing. In October 2012, Grainger mentioned they were "coming to share new material, and to work out the kinks." The band withdrew from their June 2013 slot at the Governors Ball Music Festival due to unforeseen challenges with new songs. Following the cancellation of European dates citing a "medical emergency" on July 11, 2013, they confirmed work was underway on a new album. They appeared at Wakestock Music Festival in August and Rifflandia Festival in September.

On July 8, 2014, they released the single "Trainwreck 1979" alongside details about their forthcoming studio album The Physical World. This album was issued on September 9, 2014 through Last Gang and Warner Bros. Records.

A documentary titled Life After Death from Above 1979, directed by Grainger’s wife Eva Michon and chronicling the band’s history and reunion, was released on October 7, 2014.

On April 22, 2016, they issued a live album named Live At Third Man Records, recorded during a performance at Jack White’s Third Man Records facility in Nashville in 2015.

Outrage! Is Now (2017–2020)

On June 6, 2017, the group officially resumed using their original name, "Death from Above." Although the "1979" suffix remained on their social media usernames, all upcoming releases and performances adopted the initial band name exclusively. Grainger mentioned that removing the "1979" from tour advertisements during their 2016 appearances with Eagles of Death Metal and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club did not lead to any legal complications, which motivated the permanent rebranding. Sebastian also pointed to the experience of designing the cover for their single "Freeze Me"—which required ordering a custom ice cube tray featuring letters but excluding numbers—as a decisive factor. The single debuted on BBC Radio 1 and was released on June 7.

Is 4 Lovers (2020–present)

In December 2020, the duo cleared their social media content and unveiled a new logo, confirming their return to the Death from Above 1979 name. After several months of cryptic hints, they revealed plans for a new album on February 3, 2021. The album titled Is 4 Lovers was released on March 26, coinciding with the launch of its lead single, "One + One."

Musical style

Their sound has been characterized as dance-punk, noise punk, and punk rock. Grainger explained that their original aim was to maintain a straightforward approach, aspiring to be the hardcore equivalent of AC/DC. Rolling Stone highlighted how the band exemplifies the DIY dance-punk ethos by fusing abrasive hardcore elements with raw synthesizer tones and heartfelt vocal delivery.

Members

Jesse F. Keeler – bass guitar, synthesizers, keyboards, backing vocals
Sebastien Grainger – drums, lead vocals

Discography

Studio albums

External links