The Street Lights Have Been Turned Down

In 2004, Heath Dupras stepped from behind the drums of The Washdown to front his own band with ex-Pohgoh drummer Keith Ulrey. The two originally envisioned the project as a guitar-and-drums duo, but the layered, dynamic nature of the material quickly revealed a need to bring others into the fold. Enter longtime friends and fellow ex-Washdown band mates Michael Waksman (guitar, vocals) and Bryan Bates (bass). With the lineup complete, the goal of the band became apparent: to make music on its own terms and at its own pace. Drawing influences from such mid-'90s indie-rock acts as Versus, Seam, Polvo and Codeine, Zillionaire took their time (a year and a half to be exact) on this well-crafted debut.