Deafheaven formed in February 2010 in San Francisco, California, as a two-piece project by vocalist George Clarke and guitarist Kerry McCoy, who had previously played together in the grindcore band Rise of Caligula. After self-releasing a demo that garnered positive reception, they expanded to a five-piece lineup with bassist Derek Prine, guitarist Nick Bassett, and drummer Trevor Deschryver, signing to Deathwish Inc. for their debut album Roads to Judah in April 2011. The band blends black metal, shoegaze, and post-rock into a style termed blackgaze. Subsequent releases include Sunbather (2013), which received critical recognition from outlets like Pitchfork, NPR, Rolling Stone, and Metacritic, along with New Bermuda (2015). Lineup changes occurred due to touring demands, with Daniel Tracy joining on drums for Sunbather and others like Stephen Clark and Shiv Mehra for live performances. Deafheaven is known for live shows featuring intense vocal delivery from Clarke and expansive, atmospheric guitar work, evolving from local Bay Area performances to national tours.