* En anglais uniquement
Equally inspired by
the Carter Family and
Crystal Castles, the eclectic pop outfit
DWNTWN feature vocalist
Jamie Leffler, guitarist/vocalist
Robert Cepeda, and drummer Daniel Vanchieri. The group formed in 2010, when
Cepeda and
Leffler, the daughter of
Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers bassist
Howie Epstein, began writing songs together as a way of getting over their respective breakups.
DWNTWN soon fleshed out their lineup, and released their debut single, "See My Eyes," in 2012 via Kitsuné. That year, the band also issued a pair of EPs, Cowboys and the synth-heavy Red Room, which drew comparisons to
Ellie Goulding and the Drive soundtrack. In 2013,
DWNTWN collaborated with
Jhameel and
Giraffage on "Move Me," a track that appeared on the Kitsuné America, Vol. 2 compilation. The following April saw the release of the group's self-titled EP on Jullian Records, which included the singles "Til Tomorrow" and "Missing You."
DWNTWN's 2017 debut album, Racing Time, included a cameo by
Leffler's stepmother,
Carlene Carter, on a version of
Anita Carter's "As the Sparrow Goes." ~ Heather Phares