They came from some of the most popular, if not polarizing hardcore bands of the early ‘90s (Shelter, 108, Resurrection), but by the time Texas Is The Reason formed in 1994, a new aesthetic crystallized almost instantly and reduced its members’ previous efforts to history. Indeed, it was only a year later when Revelation Records released the band’s self-titled EP, their name derived from a lyric in the Misfits song “Bullet,” that Texas Is The Reason were already headlining their own tours in America and well on their way to defining a new moment in post-punk.
In April of 1996, the band reinforced that initial success with their first and only album, produced by Jawbox’s J. Robbins and named after the last words that John Lennon was alleged to have heard: “Do You Know Who You Are?” In the years since, SPIN, Alternative Press, and Paste would all go on to call "Do You Know Who You Are?" an essential ‘90s album. Unfortunately, after a year of heavy promotion and touring for the record, inner-band tension came to a head and the band officially split in 1997. Its members would go on to form Jets To Brazil, New End Original and Solea.
Since then the band had only reunited once – for two sold-out New York City shows in 2006 – but their presence has barely waned: Newer generations of bands like Spitalfield, Into It. Over It., and Transit have covered Texas Is The Reason songs over the years, and even vets such as Thursday, Taking Back Sunday, and Armor For Sleep have all publicly cited their influence.
