Faith, Doubt, and Pedro the Lion

How David Bazan’s religious roots set the stage for his band’s very relevant return.

When Seattle-based musician David Bazan began his career in the mid-1990s, he was Christian. In the beginning, he put his faith—and his doubt about his faith—into his music. But over time, he began to sing less and less about faith, and more and more about doubt. His band, Pedro the Lion, broke up in 2005, and he’s built a solo career since, releasing albums that explore his breakup with Christianity as well as his anger toward corporate power, politics, and patriarchy. In late 2017, Bazan reunited the band, revisiting some of his old work—and his old doubts—through a very of-the-moment exploration of toxic masculinity. Seattleland editorial director Mark Baumgarten leads us on that complicated journey, talking with both Bazan and his fans to probe the depths of personal change made public and the role that faith and doubt can play in art and life.