Foe Destroyer

Foe Destroyer is the union of three very different songwriters: Daniel Garcia, Chris McQueen, and Cade Sadler. Together, drawing from punk, nerd rock, jazz, electronic music, classic rock, bossa nova, and a whole range of other styles, these guys manage to make music that goes beyond genre labels. As true artists, they aren't satisfied in finding one approach that works and then just going through the motions, but instead strive to constantly push themselves and each other to go further. Likewise, none of the three considers himself a 'guitarist' or a 'drummer' or a 'singer,' but rather a musician. During shows they each take turns playing drums, bass, guitar, and keyboards--even unusual instruments like ukuleles and toys make an appearance. And the role of lead vocals is passed around as well, some songs even being sung in complete harmony to the point where you no longer know or care who the 'frontman' is. One gets the impression while watching a show that, if they had to, Foe Destroyer could bang rocks together and make music out of it. The three originally met in 2004 playing in Andrew Tinker & The Goodnights, a band out of Denton, Texas. After the band split Garcia and Sadler continued collaborating on projects based in Denton. McQueen meanwhile finished a degree in jazz guitar at the University of North Texas, playing in the world-renown One O'Clock Lab Band and the instrumental supergroup Snarky Puppy. After college McQueen led and managed the band Oso Closo with fellow singer-songwriter Adrian Hulet. Under McQueen's direction Oso Closo released two albums, one DVD, performed in The Dallas Theatre Center's production of The Who's Tommy (over 30 shows), and shared the stage with such acts as The Rocket Summer, Everclear, Marcy Playground, and Wheatus. In 2009 Garcia was asked to join Oso Closo on guitar, sparking a personal and musical kinship between him and McQueen. The two began writing and jamming, and when Oso Closo starting falling apart in the Spring of 2010 they stuck together and formed Foe Destroyer. Soon after they asked Sadler to join, completing the lineup and forming what would be for all three an unprecedented artistic union. In it's short existence, Foe Destroyer has already played SXSW, The Deep Ellum Arts Festival in Dallas Texas, The Fort Worth Main Street Arts Festival, The Denton Arts & Jazz Festival, Lolaspalooza in Fort Worth, The Dallas Wildflower Festival, The Fort Worth Arts Goggle, Shock Stock Music Festival in Monroe Louisiana, The Houston Main Street Music Festival, Rock the Republic in Bryan Texas, and the Dallas House of Blues. They have supported such acts as Fair to Midland, Parachute Musical, Oblio, Baby Baby, Gypsy Blood, and The High Pilots (members of Ludo).