Dashboard Confessional

Dashboard Confessional is an acoustic emo outfit is led by singer-songwriter and guitarist Chris Carrabba, who comes originally from Boca Raton, Florida, USA. Carrabba taught himself how to play guitar beginning at the age of 15, although skateboarding remained his main interest throughout high school. During the mid- to late 90s, Carrabba played in local hardcore/punk outfits such as the Vacant Andys, the Agency, and Further Seems Forever, before he began doing low-key, acoustic-based shows on his own. For a while the project went nameless, until Carrabba decided to borrow a line from one of his songs (The Sharp Hint Of New Tears), resulting in the name Dashboard Confessional.

Signing with the small indie label Fiddler, Carrabba issued his debut recording in 2000, the three-track EP The Drowning, following it up shortly thereafter with Swiss Army Romance. The album was soon re-issued via Drive Thru Records, which led to a significant buzz among the emo underground and bidding wars between several labels. Carrabba eventually decided to sign with Vagrant Records, who in turn released Dashboard Confessional's second album, 2001's The Places You Have Come To Fear The Most, as well as the four-track EP, So Impossible, the latter of which featured accompaniment by former Sunny Day Real Estate guitarist/vocalist Dan Hoerner. In spring 2002, Dashboard Confessional issued the Summer's Kiss EP, which included four of Carrabba's favourite tracks from Swiss Army Romance, re-recorded with a full band. Dashboard Confessional made their anticipated breakthrough into the US mainstream the following year, with A Mark, A Mission, A Brand, A Star entering the Billboard 200 at number 2.