Deer Tick

Deer Tick formed around John McCauley III, who handles vocals and guitar. The band includes Ian O'Neil on guitar, Chris Ryan on bass, and Dennis Ryan on drums. They put out their first album, War Elephant, in 2007, and have released several more since, like Born on Flag Day in 2009 and The Black Dirt Sessions the following year.

Their song 'Goodbye, Dear Friend' came out on Born on Flag Day. It's one of those tracks people mention when they talk about the band, along with '20 Miles' and 'Ashamed'. The music tends to lean into folk and rock, with a straightforward, sometimes ragged feel that fits McCauley's delivery.

They've kept at it through various phases, putting out records like Negativity in 2013 and a pair of volumes simply titled Deer Tick in 2015 and 2017. The lineup has stayed fairly steady, which isn't always the case for groups that started when they did. They recorded a live album at the Sinclair in 2021.