Feature Photo: Feature Photo: Wünderbrot, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Deafheaven started as a two-piece project in 2010 out of California with vocalist George Clarke and guitarist Kerry McCoy. The pair, who had previously played together in the grindcore band Rise of Caligula, chose the name Deafheaven as a homage to the shoegaze band Slowdive, combining the words “deaf” and “heaven” with a nod to William Shakespeare’s Sonnet 29. From humble beginnings recording their demo with borrowed equipment due to financial constraints, Deafheaven has released six studio albums: Roads to Judah (2011), Sunbather (2013), New Bermuda (2015), Ordinary Corrupt Human Love (2018), Infinite Granite (2021), and Lonely People with Power (2025).
The band has undergone several lineup changes throughout its existence, expanding from its original duo to a five-piece ensemble. Their musical style, often described as “blackgaze,” blends elements of black metal, shoegaze, and post-rock, helping to popularize this hybrid genre. Sunbather, their sophomore album, received widespread critical acclaim, becoming one of the best-reviewed albums of 2013 according to Metacritic. The album charted at number 130 on the Billboard 200 and number 2 on the Top Heatseekers chart, marking their first appearance on Billboard. Their accomplishments include a Grammy nomination for Best Metal Performance in 2018 for their song “Honeycomb” from Ordinary Corrupt Human Love, cementing their status in the metal world despite their genre-defying approach.
George Clarke
George Clarke has been the lead vocalist of Deafheaven since founding the band with Kerry McCoy in 2010. As the frontman and lyricist, Clarke has been instrumental in shaping the band’s distinctive sound and aesthetic. He has performed on all of Deafheaven’s releases, from their self-titled demo in 2010 through their most recent album Lonely People with Power in 2025.
Clarke’s vocal style, characterized by his intense screaming technique, has been a defining element of Deafheaven’s sound across their discography. On Roads to Judah (2011), Clarke’s lyrics explored themes of “substance abuse and debauchery,” giving the album its emotional intensity. For Sunbather (2013), Clarke developed the concept of the album title as representing “a wealthy, beautiful, perfect existence that is naturally unattainable and the struggles of having to deal with that reality.”
In addition to his work with Deafheaven, Clarke co-founded All Black Recording Company with former Deafheaven bassist Derek Prine in 2014, showcasing his entrepreneurial side in the music industry. This independent label has served as a platform for releasing music from other artists including Creepers, a psychedelic rock project formed by Deafheaven members Daniel Tracy and Shiv Mehra.
Clarke has cited diverse musical influences including Burzum, ColdWorld, Leviathan, Iron Maiden, Metallica, Slayer, Morbid Angel, Pantera, Weakling, Yaphet Kotto, Funeral Diner, and Thursday, reflecting the broad range of sounds that inform Deafheaven’s unique style.
Kerry McCoy
Kerry McCoy is the founding guitarist of Deafheaven who, alongside George Clarke, formed the band in 2010. McCoy has been the primary composer and musical architect for the group, performing on all of their releases and providing a consistent creative vision throughout the band’s evolution. His guitar work is characterized by a blend of tremolo-picked black metal riffs, atmospheric post-rock textures, and melodic shoegaze elements that define Deafheaven’s distinctive sound.
For the band’s early recordings, including their demo and first album Roads to Judah (2011), McCoy demonstrated remarkable versatility by handling both guitar and bass duties when needed. He and Clarke wrote Sunbather (2013) together as a duo, similar to how they composed their demo, establishing the blueprint for what would become known as the “blackgaze” sound. McCoy’s guitar compositions on New Bermuda (2015) pushed further into metal territory while maintaining the band’s atmospheric qualities.
McCoy has been transparent about Deafheaven’s influences, noting that while they incorporate elements of black metal, they don’t consider themselves a black metal band. In interviews, he has cited influences ranging from alternative rock to early thrash metal, and acknowledged the bands who were blending shoegaze and black metal before Deafheaven. McCoy has described learning important professional lessons while touring with Russian Circles, who taught him “the three rules of any successful band are to write good tunes, be excellent live, and to not be an asshole while doing that.”
Prior to forming Deafheaven, McCoy played with Clarke in the grindcore band Rise of Caligula, demonstrating his roots in more extreme forms of metal before developing the more nuanced approach that would characterize Deafheaven’s sound.
Daniel Tracy
Daniel Tracy joined Deafheaven as their drummer in 2012, making his recording debut with the band on their critically acclaimed sophomore album Sunbather (2013). Tracy replaced former drummer Korey Severson and has remained a consistent member of the lineup ever since. His technical proficiency and dynamic playing style have been crucial components of Deafheaven’s sound across four studio albums.
Tracy’s drumming on Sunbather was notable for how he “added his own drum style to already-constructed song skeletons” created by Clarke and McCoy. His powerful blast beats and fluid transitions between intense metal passages and more restrained post-rock sections helped define the album’s dynamic range. This approach continued through New Bermuda (2015), Ordinary Corrupt Human Love (2018), and adapted to the more shoegaze-oriented sound of Infinite Granite (2021), before returning to a heavier approach on Lonely People with Power (2025).
Outside of Deafheaven, Tracy formed the psychedelic rock side project Creepers in 2013 alongside fellow Deafheaven member Shiv Mehra, along with Varun Mehra and Christopher Natividad. The group released a self-titled EP in 2013 and a full-length album titled Lush in 2014 through All Black Recording Company, the label founded by George Clarke and former Deafheaven bassist Derek Prine. This project showcased Tracy’s versatility beyond metal drumming, exploring more mellow psychedelic territories.
Tracy has been present for all of Deafheaven’s major tours and festival appearances since joining, including their performances at the Roadburn Festival in 2023, where the band performed Sunbather in its entirety for its 10-year anniversary, followed by Infinite Granite the next night.
Shiv Mehra
Shiv Mehra joined Deafheaven in 2013 as the band was expanding its lineup following the release of Sunbather. As the rhythm guitarist, backing vocalist, and occasional keyboardist, Mehra has added textural depth to Deafheaven’s sound across four studio albums. His contributions first appeared on the band’s live performances supporting Sunbather, before featuring on the studio recordings of New Bermuda (2015), Ordinary Corrupt Human Love (2018), Infinite Granite (2021), and Lonely People with Power (2025).
Mehra’s guitar work complements Kerry McCoy’s lead playing, creating the layered, wall-of-sound approach that has become a signature element of Deafheaven’s recordings and live performances. On Infinite Granite, as the band shifted toward a more shoegaze-oriented sound with cleaner vocals, Mehra’s contributions to the atmospheric elements became increasingly prominent.
Outside of Deafheaven, Mehra formed the psychedelic rock side project Creepers in 2013 with Daniel Tracy and others. The band released a self-titled EP that year, followed by their debut album Lush in 2014 through All Black Recording Company. This project showcased Mehra’s musical interests beyond the blackgaze style of Deafheaven, exploring more traditional psychedelic rock territories.
As of 2025, while still an official member of the band, Mehra has been temporarily replaced for touring purposes by Ian Waters, who has been serving as a substitute guitarist during live performances.
Chris Johnson
Chris Johnson joined Deafheaven as bassist and backing vocalist in 2017, replacing longtime bassist Stephen Clark. His first recording with the band was their fourth studio album, Ordinary Corrupt Human Love (2018), which earned them a Grammy nomination for Best Metal Performance for the song “Honeycomb.” Johnson has remained with the band through their subsequent releases Infinite Granite (2021) and Lonely People with Power (2025).
Johnson’s bass playing provides a solid foundation for Deafheaven’s atmospheric sound, balancing the weight of the rhythm section with Tracy’s drums while supporting the guitar layers created by McCoy and Mehra. His backing vocals have also added a new dimension to the band’s sound, particularly on Infinite Granite, which featured a significant shift toward cleaner vocals and more shoegaze-oriented compositions.
As the newest permanent member of Deafheaven’s current lineup, Johnson has been an integral part of the band’s evolution in recent years, participating in major tours and festival appearances, including their performances at the Roadburn Festival in 2023 where they performed both Sunbather and Infinite Granite in full on consecutive nights.
Nick Bassett
Nick Bassett served as guitarist in Deafheaven from 2010 to 2012, joining shortly after Clarke and McCoy recorded their demo. Coming from the shoegaze band Whirr (formerly known as Whirl), Bassett brought additional shoegaze influences to Deafheaven’s developing sound during his tenure with the group.
Bassett performed on Deafheaven’s debut album Roads to Judah (2011), contributing to the band’s early fusion of black metal and post-rock that would later evolve into their signature “blackgaze” sound. He toured extensively with the band during this period, including performances at SXSW in March 2011, their tour with Canadian noise rock band KEN mode in June 2011, and appearances at California’s Sound and Fury Festival in July 2011.
After departing from Deafheaven in 2012, Bassett continued his career with Whirr and has been involved in other musical projects. His early contributions to Deafheaven helped establish the foundation of their sound during a crucial formative period.
Derek Prine
Derek Prine was Deafheaven’s bassist from 2010 to 2012, joining the band shortly after Clarke and McCoy recorded their demo. Prine was one of the three additional musicians recruited to form Deafheaven’s first five-piece lineup, alongside guitarist Nick Bassett and drummer Trevor Deschryver.
Prine performed on the band’s debut album Roads to Judah (2011) and toured with them during their early years, participating in significant tours with bands like KEN mode and Russian Circles, as well as festival appearances including SXSW and Sound and Fury Festival. His bass playing helped establish the foundation of Deafheaven’s sound during their formative years.
After leaving Deafheaven in 2012, Prine co-founded All Black Recording Company with George Clarke in 2014, an independent label that has released music from bands including Creepers, the side project formed by Deafheaven members Daniel Tracy and Shiv Mehra. This venture demonstrated Prine’s continued involvement in the music industry beyond his performing career with Deafheaven.
Trevor Deschryver
Trevor Deschryver was Deafheaven’s first drummer, joining the band in 2010 after responding to an advertisement on Craigslist posted by founding members George Clarke and Kerry McCoy. Deschryver completed the original five-piece lineup alongside Clarke, McCoy, bassist Derek Prine, and guitarist Nick Bassett.
Deschryver performed on Deafheaven’s debut album Roads to Judah (2011) and participated in the band’s early tours and festival appearances, including their performance at SXSW in March 2011 and their tour with KEN mode in June 2011. His drumming helped establish the foundation of Deafheaven’s sound, incorporating blast beats and dynamic shifts that would become hallmarks of the band’s approach.
After departing from Deafheaven in 2011, Deschryver was replaced by Korey Severson, who served as the band’s drummer until Daniel Tracy took over in 2012. Deschryver’s contributions to Roads to Judah remain an important part of Deafheaven’s early discography, helping to set the template for their unique blend of black metal, shoegaze, and post-rock.
Korey Severson
Korey Severson served as Deafheaven’s drummer from 2011 to 2012, taking over after the departure of the band’s original drummer, Trevor Deschryver. Severson joined during a transitional period for the band, as they were gaining recognition following the release of their debut album Roads to Judah and beginning to tour more extensively.
During his time with Deafheaven, Severson performed on their tours with Russian Circles in November 2011 and their European tour in February 2012, helping to build the band’s reputation as a formidable live act. While Severson did not record any studio albums with Deafheaven, he was an important part of their live performances during a crucial period of growing visibility for the band.
Severson departed Deafheaven in 2012 and was replaced by current drummer Daniel Tracy, who would go on to record Sunbather with the band in 2013. Though his tenure was relatively brief, Severson’s contributions helped Deafheaven maintain momentum during their early career as they continued to develop their distinctive sound and performance style.
Stephen Clark
Stephen Clark joined Deafheaven as bassist in 2013, following the recording of Sunbather. Clark was recruited alongside guitarist Shiv Mehra to complete the band’s lineup for touring in support of their breakthrough album. He remained with Deafheaven for four years, performing on their third album New Bermuda (2015) before departing in 2017.
Clark joined during a pivotal moment in Deafheaven’s career, as Sunbather had received widespread critical acclaim and was expanding their audience beyond traditional metal circles. His bass playing provided a solid foundation for the band’s evolving sound on New Bermuda, which saw them push into heavier territories while maintaining the atmospheric qualities that had defined Sunbather.
During his tenure with Deafheaven, Clark participated in numerous tours across North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia, including supporting slots with Between the Buried and Me and headlining tours with bands like Pallbearer and No Joy. He was also part of the band during their label transition from Deathwish Inc. to Anti- Records, marking their move to a larger platform.
After Clark’s departure in 2017, he was replaced by current bassist Chris Johnson, who would go on to perform on Ordinary Corrupt Human Love (2018) and subsequent releases. Clark’s contributions to Deafheaven during a period of significant growth and artistic development remain an important part of the band’s history.
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