Watch Dave Hause Perform Live at Paste Studio

A veteran of the Philadelphia punk and hardcore scenes, Dave Hause cut his teeth as a guitarist and singer in Philly-based bands Step Ahead, The Curse and The Loved Ones. His solo debut, 2011’s Resolutions, revealed a deeply skilled songwriter with a knack for hooks and introspective lyrics. A second album, Devour, arrived in 2013. For the follow-up, a newly sober Hause holed up in his new California home and wrote nearly 40 songs, 11 of which would end up as Bury Me In Philly, which came out in February. “One thing I was focused on was trying to make the songs more concise and uplifting than the last record,” he says. “My last album was a divorce record and during the touring of it I fell in love with my fiancé, moved to California and things got a lot better.”

Hause’s fresh perspective allowed him to dig deeper, from tender “Wild Love” to the monstrous “Shaky Jesus.” “Dirty Fucker” oozes with fuzzed-out boogie, “Helluva Home” has a folksy sing-along vibe. “Punk rock guilt is a real thing,” he says. “I like to make rock n’ roll music because that’s what I love, and I don’t care if Zeppelin or the Stones aren’t cool to the punks; it’s cool to me and that’s what matters.”

Watch Dave Hause perform LIVE at Paste!