Dave Hause

Few songwriters have worn as many hats in Philadelphia's punk and hardcore underground as Dave Hause, and his solo records carry that history in their grain. Born in 1978, the American singer-songwriter draws on heartland rock, folk rock and punk, a blend that pairs open-hearted melody with rougher, guitar-driven edges. He has played in several area bands, including The Loved Ones and The Falcon, and now performs solo and with The Mermaid.

His path ran through Step Ahead, a mid-1990s hardcore band that released one album, and then The Curse, which he formed with drummer Brendan Hill and which played its last show in April 2003, opening for Kid Dynamite. In 2004 he founded The Loved Ones, and by early 2011 his debut solo album, Resolutions, was out, followed by a run of five 7-inch singles in 2012 on five different labels. Devour followed in 2013 via Rise Records, and Bury Me in Philly, recorded in Philadelphia with Eric Bazilian, arrived in February 2017 as The Mermaid took shape around his brother Tim. Kick arrived in 2019 and Blood Harmony, released in October 2021, was the first record on his own label, Blood Harmony Records.