Lynch

Lynch formed in 1981 with vocalist Paul Lynch, guitarist Kirk Brandon, bassist Steve Jackson, and drummer Dave Smith. They started playing in clubs when their mix of post-punk and gothic rock wasn't getting much attention from labels. Their song "Night" became something people knew them for, along with tracks like "Antares" and "A Flare."

They put out their first album, "Against the World," in 1985. The band kept writing about dark themes, which sometimes got them criticized. One song called "Regret" was singled out for how it handled violence against women, and their overall imagery led to accusations of misogyny and some censorship. They didn't really change course, though.

Lynch kept making music that leaned into despair and human complexity without softening their approach. Their sound kept shifting across albums, but they stayed with that uneasy, shadowed feel that defined early songs like "Night" and later ones like "Trigger Feat.J."