Kellin Quinn Auditioned for Dance Gavin Dance: Listen

Prior to forming Sleeping With Sirens in 2009, frontman Kellin Quinn auditioned for post-hardcore heroes Dance Gavin Dance.

Don't believe us? We've got the audio evidence to prove it: You can check out Quinn taking on an acoustic version of Dance Gavin Dance's track "Uneasy Hearts Weigh the Most" below.

Quinn, however, didn't make the grade, with Dance Gavin Dance instead choosing former O! the Joy vocalist Kurt Travis to replace the departed Jonny Craig. Travis would feature on the band's 2008 self-titled album and 2009's Happiness before Craig returned to vocal duties in 2010.

Speaking to The Record Podcast about the audition process for Dance Gavin Dance, Travis explained: "I got this call from Eric Rushing, my manager, and he was like, 'Dude, I've got a band [Dance Gavin Dance] for you — you have to audition!'"

"To be honest, I didn't listen to them all that much," Travis continued, before stating how "they flew in Kellin Quinn, the singer from Sleeping With Sirens, and that band is so huge––that's the guy that I had to beat to get the spot. I remember them saying that he had a great voice but it was a little girly, a little too feminine. They thought I had a good grit to my voice, so I got the job."

By the time DGD reconciled with Jonny Craig, Quinn and the rest of Sleeping With Sirens were in the midst of the campaign for their much-loved debut album With Ears to See and Eyes to Hear. We recently ran an op-ed on how Sleeping With Sirens' debut changed the scene, which you can read here.

Sleeping With Sirens have since gone on to release five studio albums, with the most recent, How it Feels to Be Lost, released last year.

Last week, Sleeping With Sirens guitarist Jack Fowler dropped a teaser for what appears to be an upcoming SWS single online, and it sounds heavy.

Jonny Craig would again depart Dance Gavin Dance in 2012, the band replacing him with current frontman Tilian Person. DGD are set to release their ninth album, Afterburner, on April 24.

The band dropped a new single, "Lyrics Lie," last week, and it's rather reminiscent of Pearson's work with previous outfit Tides of Man — check it out here.

Both Dance Gavin Dance and Sleeping With Sirens have had to postpone upcoming tours because of the coronavirus pandemic: DGD were set to tour the States this Spring but will now play throughout August and September alongside Issues, Animals as Leaders and Veil of Maya; Sleeping With Sirens, meanwhile, have had to cancel shows with the Amity Affliction and Stray From the Path — new dates are yet to be announced.

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