Dear and the Headlights members form The Gentle Hits (stream a track)

You might remember that back in the late ’00s, there was a short-lived underrated indie-folk band on Equal Vision Records called Dear and the Headlights. They didn’t really reach the audience that they should have, as their tourmates and labelmates were mostly from the polished, Warped Tour/Hot Topic/AltPress pop punk world, while Dear and the Headlights had more in common with Band of Horses or Frightened Rabbit or something like that. If you’re unfamiliar, their two albums still live up really well and you should check them out.

It’s also exciting to learn that singer Ian Metzger is now fronting a new band called The Gentle Hits that he formed with DatH drummer Mark Kulvinskas, James Mulhern (of What Laura Says), and Wayne Jones. Their self-titled debut album will be out November 18 via Porch Party Records (pre-order), and we’re premiering opening track “Walk Out.” It basically picks up right where Dear and the Headlights left off, which is a very good thing. if you were a fan of that band, you’ll immediately recognize his unmistakable voice and will hopefully find this instantly enjoyable. Check it out:

Tracklist
1. Small Minute
2. Buried Alive
3. The Payroll
4. All That Information
5. Hospital Bed
6. I’m Only On Your Side
7. Mr. Davis
8. Cheer Up
9. Walk Out
10. Good Times
11. Stella
12. Timeless Vision
13. Stop Crawling

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And revisit Dear and the Headlights’ video for their best song “Sweet Talk”: