Cousins Dave Schafer and Pete Vale bore the idea of forming a rock band late in 2011 as a therapeutic release from the pressurized day to day of New York City living. Adding on bass guitarist Andrew Wilkes, drummer Ben Selznick, and keyboard player James Gettinger, the band was complete in early 2012. For about a year, they would get together informally, sing, talk, and enjoy the company of each others’ talents, focused initially only on their favorite rock covers and whatever other melodies happened to pass before their minds. But the energy in the room soon developed into something more, and they began to write songs together: ones they liked so much that they felt compelled to share. In January of 2013 they played their first live show in the basement of a small club in Manhattan. From there, things took off quickly as crowds progressively got bigger and bigger. Denizen soon became a staple on the Lower East Side music scene, quickly moving from mid-sized venues like Arlene’s Grocery and Pianos to professional concert halls like Webster Hall, Bowery Ballroom, and Brooklyn Bowl. From there they began touring up and down the East Coast and have grown a strong regional following in cities from Boston, MA to Washington, D.C.

Several lineup changes later, Dave and Pete have remained at the core of the band along with Colin Harte on bass, who joined in 2020. Adding Joe Livingston on drums, David Tsai on fiddle, and Adam Narimatsu on keyboards the band has returned post-COVID 19 pandemic as never before. They are currently at work on a new album and will be touring the northeast in the fall of 2024.