Dead Bob

Under the name Dead Bob, John Wright is developing a solo incarnation of his work after decades as the drummer and songwriter in NoMeansNo, the band formed in Victoria, British Columbia, which is now defunct. Rooted in Canada, Dead Bob continues this trajectory with songwriting that blends punk rock, post-hardcore, alternative rock and more oblique touches — in straightforward songs that are nevertheless marked by tempo shifts and structures less linear than a classic punk format. John Wright occupies the central role, recording and producing much of the music himself from British Columbia, while occasionally enlisting close collaborators such as Byron Slack, Kristy Lee Audette, Ford Pier, Selina Martin and Aidan Wright. The Dead Bob project draws on material written over a long period, giving the body of work a continuity of spirit despite its formal variety, between melodic tension, dry energy and the legacy of the Canadian independent scene. In this way Dead Bob allows John Wright to move his musical language beyond the confines of the band without breaking with a practice forged by years of touring, writing and performing.