It was the early 2000s when a young artist named Donny Dykowsky found himself fighting quite literally a battle for his life. After having a stem-cell transplant and living in a hospital for a year, Dykowsky began gigging as soon as he could walk again. At the same time, he began piecing together a band that would become Chesterwhite, the most interesting band you’ve never heard of.

Chesterwhite featured songwriter Dykowsky (BLUEOX) on vocals/guitar/keys, Freddy Pastore (The Long Shadows) on bass, Seth Moutal (Tracy Bonham) on drums, and Dave Dunn on electric guitar. The 4-piece gained momentum quickly with slots on The Van’s Warped Tour and playing capacity shows in New York. Their self-titled, debut album Chesterwhite & His Orchestra (Erroneous Records), was likened to David Bowie and T-Rex with a splash of dystopian flair telling the story of a true-life, sci-fi journey of a cancer survivor in the throes of a toxic relationship.

Fast-forward to 2020, in the midst of the global pandemic, Dykowsky stumbled upon the unreleased songs that would become Chesterwhite’s 2022 EP, St Davids. Originally recorded and mixed at Eric Bazilian’s (The Hooters) studio outside of Philadelphia 15 years prior, these songs felt eerily suited to the current existential threats of the 2020s. Finalizing the project, he pledged all proceeds to benefit St. Jude’s Children Research Hospital.