Dance Gavin Dance formed in 2005 in Sacramento, California, from members of prior bands including Farewell Unknown. Founding members included guitarist Will Swan, drummer Matt Mingus, bassist Eric Lodge, unclean vocalist Jon Mess, and clean vocalist Johnny Craig. The band has experienced frequent lineup changes, with Swan and Mingus as the only constants across all studio albums. Genres include post-hardcore, math rock, and experimental rock. They released their debut EP Whatever I Say Is Royal Ocean in 2005 (reissued 2006) and first full-length Downtown Battle Mountain in 2007 on Rise Records, followed by self-titled (2008), Happiness (2009), Downtown Battle Mountain II (2011), and later albums like Acceptance Speech (2013), Instant Gratification (2015), Mothership (2016), Artificial Selection (2018), Afterburner (2020), and Jackpot Juicer (2022). The band is known for intricate guitar work, dual vocal styles blending clean singing and screams, and energetic live performances.