Heavy atmospheric shoegaze band True Widow comes to the Chapel
SAN FRANCISCO -- Renowned Texas rock experimentalists True Widow return to San Francisco Monday when the trio headlines the Chapel with local band Firearm.
The project of guitarist and singer Dan "D.H." Phillips, the band came together after his earlier, more indie-oriented outfit Slowride had run its course following a series of punchy, tuneful releases for popular emo imprint Deep Ellum Records. Phillips initially moved away from his native Texas and shifted his artistic focus away from music, studying furniture and cabinet making (he also paints) before returning to Dallas and seeking out new musical collaborators. Founded in 2007 with bassist Nicole Estill and drummer Timothy "Slim" Starks, True Widow would take Phillips in a new direction.
Wanting to explore a heavier sound, the trio mixed elements of shoegaze and slowcore with the more aggressive riffs of stoner and doom metal, finding a compelling balance between dreamy atmospherics and crushing guitars on its eponymous debut in 2008 for Texas indie label End Sounds.
The band would release its sophomore effort on noted heavy/psych imprint Kemado Records -- As High As the Highest Heavens and From the Center to the Circumference of the Earth -- along with the 5-song EP I.N.O. in 2011 before landing at their current home Relapse Records. Circumambulation, the band's first effort for the label came out in 2013, found True Widow ramping up the propulsion factor while maintaining the trio's gift for gorgeous, shimmering textures.
Avvolgere followed in 2016, showing further refinement of the band's balanced mix of pounding riffs, menacing tension and languid atmospheres. While True Widow hasn't put out any new material since that album came out seven years ago, fans are anxiously awaiting news of their future plans. They return to the Bay Area Monday on their way to play Portland, OR music festival Stumpfest this coming weekend, headlining the Chapel in the Mission District with San Francisco band Firearm. The band is also playing Harlow's in Sacramento Tuesday night.
True Widow
Monday, April 17, 7 p.m. $20-$24
The Chapel