...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead

...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead

...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead are an American alternative rock band from Austin, Texas, formed in 1994. Their sound spans alternative rock, art rock, indie rock, post-hardcore and post-rock, and the group is also known as Trail of Dead.

Line-up and origins

The band is built around Conrad Keely and Jason Reece, who share vocals, guitar and drums duties both on recordings and in performance. Keely and Reece are childhood friends who meet in Hawaii, then each form first bands in 1993 after moving to Olympia, Washington. Keely’s early projects are Benedict Gehlen and Nancyville, while Reece plays in Honeybucket and then Mukilteo Fairies before the pair move to Austin and begin performing as a duo under the name You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead. The group then expands to include guitarist Kevin Allen and bassist Neil Busch, before adopting the full name with the conjunction and the ellipsis.

Albums and releases

The band’s first release is a live cassette on Golden Hour Records, followed by a self-titled debut album on Trance Syndicate. They release Madonna in 1999 and Source Tags & Codes in 2002, the album that brings them wide critical acclaim and appears on many critics’ year-end lists. Later records include Worlds Apart, So Divided, The Century of Self, Tao of the Dead, Lost Songs, IX, X: The Godless Void and Other Stories and XI: Bleed Here Now.

Style and performance

The band is known for heavy but anthemic music and for destroying equipment at the end of shows, a stage practice associated with The Who. Jason Reece and Conrad Keely remain the main creative force, switching between drums, lead vocals and guitar. On some songs, former bassist Neil Busch also sings lead vocals.

Personnel changes and side projects

Neil Busch leaves in 2004 because of health issues and is replaced by Danny Wood of The Rise. Doni Schroader of Forget Cassettes and keyboard player David Longoria of The Black join a revised line-up for touring around Worlds Apart. Jason Reece also has an electro side-project called A Roman Scandal, from which the song “Intelligence” is taken.

Name and background

The band’s name is said to come from an ancient Mayan ritual chant and an Egyptian burial text, although the members also say they invent it because it sounds good and only later find the historical associations. The group’s early years begin in Olympia before the move south to Texas, and the band remains active through 2023.