Dave Hause

Dave Hause came up in Philadelphia's punk scene, co-founding The Loved Ones in 2004. That band put out two albums before calling it quits in 2011, which led Hause to start writing and recording on his own. His first solo record, 'Resolutions,' came out in 2013 and got some good notice for its straightforward, personal songwriting.

He followed that with albums like 'Bury Me in Philly' in 2015 and 'Kick' in 2017, songs that kept to a kind of punk-inflected folk and Americana feel. Tracks like 'Bearing Down' and 'Civil Lies' have that direct, conversational quality he's known for. In 2018, he talked openly about dealing with addiction and mental health, which made his music feel even more grounded to a lot of listeners.

Hause has kept at it, putting out 'The Mermaid' in 2019 and touring regularly. The music doesn't try to be anthemic so much as it tries to be honest, songs like 'Prague (Revive Me)' and 'Fireflies' work because they sound like someone figuring things out as they go.