Engine Down

Engine Down formed in Harrisonburg, Virginia, in 1996, and have since relocated to Richmond, Virginia. This innovative quartet sprang out of such bands as Sleepytime Trio, The Weak Link Breaks, and Bughummer.

The foursome have truly come a long way, displaying that they are not afraid to take their sound to new limits with interesting instrumentation (e.g. piano, cello, vibraphone) while at the same time maintaining a dynamic and intense energy. The intrigue of this band lies in the fact that their successive works always incorporate fresh, novel sounds – it’s quite easy to trace their ascent to maturity from early works to their latest full-length effort, Demure.

The band has no qualms about pushing against and recklessly crossing the parameters of a monotonous post-rock tradition; they execute a musical excellence that will doubtlessly capture a wide swath of listeners for a long time to come. This energy has captivated an enthusiastic audience: the band charted in CMJ’s Top 20 for eight weeks.

Engine Down have toured and played with such diverse luminaries as Four Hundred Years, The Mercury Program, Milemarker, and the Locust and have no intention to stop. They completed a full European tour in fall 2001 and plan to tour Japan, the US, and Europe again in 2002.

Over time, Engine Down’s sound has matured into a force not content with the now tired boundaries of hardcore or "emo." Rather, Engine Down continue to hone their craft, surprising listeners with unexpected instruments and song structures.