In the sweltering Dallas summer of 2019, before the onset of a global pandemic, The Intemperate Sons were born from blood, grit, and a shared obsession with the ghosts of alternative rock’s golden age. The Watson family—Keith on drums, Jake on guitars, and Max on vocals, guitars, and keys—joined forces with longtime friend and bassist Mark Marks to create a sound that’s equal parts searing riffs, haunting harmonies, and unapologetic soul. Think Alice in Chains’ brooding intensity, Stone Temple Pilots’ swagger, and R.E.M.’s poetic undercurrent, all filtered through a ‘70s rock haze that refuses to play it safe.
This isn’t just a band; it’s a family affair, where the unspoken bond between father and sons fuels every chord and lyric. Keith, a Dallas stage veteran, pens lyrics that cut deep—tales of regret, resilience, and the chaos of the human condition. Jake’s guitar lines, sharp yet soulful, weave narratives of their own, while Max’s voice carries the weight of a 25-year-old who’s lived a lifetime in his head. Mark, the groove-obsessed bassist, ties it all together.
The Intemperate Sons hit the ground running, catching the ear of rock heavyweights Ryan Shuck and Amir Derakh (Orgy, Dead By Sunrise, Julien-K), who signed them to their Frame|Work label in 2021. Even a global pandemic couldn’t derail their momentum—holed up in The Kitchen Recording Studios, they crafted their debut album, The Color Within (2022), with tracks like “Dust to Dust” and “Running Man” that pulse with raw emotion and retro grit. Collaborations with legends like Tony Franklin (Whitesnake, The Firm) on singles like “Running Man” and “Dust to Dust” and Derakh’s production on singles like “Game of Keep Away” and “Dark Day’s Night” featured on their second and highly successful album, Dark Day’s Night (2024) pushed their sound further, blending post-grunge edge with folk and hard rock undercurrents.
For fans of alternative rock, this band is a throwback and a revelation—a reminder of why you fell in love with the genre’s raw honesty and a promise that its spirit still burns. The Intemperate Sons aren’t chasing trends; they’re carving their own path, one riff, one lyric, one night at a time.performing tracks that scratch deep into the backbone of the human experience. There is no shortage of darkness in their writing style which has a retro vibe with many guitar driven tracks stacked on top of a groovy rhythm section. The heavier style fits perfectly with the two and three-part vocal harmonies that are a huge part of their overall sound. It has been said that musicians that are related form unique sounds and communicate on a frequency only they can understand. This frequency has become engrained in their songwriting, arrangements, guitar melodies and vocal harmonies. The band has been compared to Alice in Chains, Stone Temple Pilots, and even R.E.M.
Please get in touch if you would like to interview the band.
The Intemperate Sons are:
Max Watson (vocals, backing vocals, guitars, keys, bass)
Jake Watson (guitars, bass and backing vocals)
Keith Watson (drums, backing vocals)
Mark Marks (bass)
The Intemperate Sons Show Dates:
Friday MAY 15 @ Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, CA w/ Gene Loves Gezebel, Vanta After Dark
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