Pedro the Lion

Pedro the Lion was an indie rock band from Seattle, Washington. David Bazan formed the band in 1995 and represented its main creative force, backed by a varying rotation of collaborating musicians. TW Walsh is considered to be the sole official band member besides Bazan. In 2006 Bazan and Walsh split amicably and Pedro the Lion was dissolved as Bazan went solo. Releasing four full-length albums and five EPs over 11 years, the band was known for its first person narrative lyrics with political and religious themes. Pedro the Lion was managed by Bob Andrews at Undertow Music Collective.

Biography

Pedro the Lion was formed by David Bazan in 1995 and released its debut EP Whole in April 1997. Bazan played nearly every instrument on the band's first two full-length albums, It's Hard to Find a Friend (1998), and Winners Never Quit (2000).

Winners marked Pedro the Lion's first concept album. After its completion, Bazan has claimed he initially decided not to continue writing concept albums. However, in the process of writing his next full-length Control, he realized he had inadvertently created a narrative link "about 70% of the way through [the album]" and decided to finish it in the same vein. The album's thematic content criticizes American capitalism, which Bazan notes was largely inspired by the sentiments surrounding the World Trade Organization protests in 1999.