1998-2010 The Dexateens began as a five-piece band in 1998 in
Tuscaloosa,
Alabama, with co-lead singer-songwriters and guitarists Elliott McPherson, John Smith, and Craig Gates, with drummer Craig "Sweet Dog" Pickering and bassist Matt Patton rounding out the group. Patton pulls double duty, as he is also a full-time member of the
Drive-By Truckers, with whom The Dexateens have toured in the past. In its earliest form, the band was known for its punk shows at The Chukker and Egan's. McPherson said The Dexateens' name originated from a
guitar pick Smith's brother/roommate had signed by
Dexter Romweber, "DEX," which subliminally stuck with him when thinking up names for the band. Once they had the name, they tried to change it to something else (The Highwatts, Red Dirt Five, Sweet Dog) but the name stuck. Starting in 2004 with their debut self-titled record, The Dexateens have released two albums on
Estrus Records and three albums Skybucket Records. Their 2004 self-titled debut and 2005 followup,
Red Dust Rising, were both produced by
Tim Kerr (Big Boys, Poison 13, Jack O'Fire, Lord High Fixers). In 2006, The Dexateens released the EP,
Teenager, on Dell'orso Records. The record is made up of material from 2000 and consists of the band's earlier punk rock sound. 2007's full-length record,
Hardwire Healing, features the acoustic song "Nadine," a song notable for its portrayal of devastation. The record features artwork by Jimmi Hole and was mastered by JJ Golden.
Patterson Hood (
Drive-By Truckers) and
David Barbe co-produced the record, which was recorded in
Athens,
Georgia, at Chase Park Transduction Studios. Also in 2007, original Dexateens drummer Craig "Sweet Dog" Pickering left the band They recorded 2009's
Singlewide with
Tim Kerr producing over a three-day period in Birmingham. The artwork is by Mike Egan. In 2008, Brad Armstrong (13ghosts) joined the band, also on guitar and backing vocals. They appeared at the 2009
Austin City Limits Music Festival. In 2010, singer-songwriter and guitarist John Smith left the band. In July 2010, The Dexateens announced the band was disbanding.
2013-present In 2013, the band returned from a two-year hiatus with the EP
Sunsphere, which is named after the
Knoxville,
Tennessee, observation tower that was built for the
1982 World's Fair.
Teenage Hallelujah was released October 7, 2016. McPherson said the record is inspired by the
C.S. Lewis novel
The Screwtape Letters. The record was recorded in 2011 in McPherson's barn and was produced and engineered by Bronson Tew (
Seratones,
Jimbo Mathus,
Water Liars), and features liner notes by
WFMU's Kevin Nutt.
Teenage Hallelujah was a shift for the band, as guitarist and vocalist Lee Bains moved on to work on his own band,
Lee Bains III and the Glory Fires. The band welcomed the addition of
Taylor Hollingsworth (Dead Fingers,
Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band) on lead guitar and backing vocals. A new record called Struggler was reportedly tracked at Dial Back Sound Studios in Water Valley, MS in 2017. The band reunited as a four piece with original member, guitarist and songwriter John Smith at Heathens Homecoming 2020 in Athens, GA and recorded a live album. It was released in 2020. They have played a few intermittent shows as a four piece since the release of the live album. == Cornelius Chapel Records ==