Down by Law was formed in 1989 as a project of Dave Smalley, a man who had fronted several pivotal hardcore and melodic punk bands by that point – DYS and Dag Nasty from Washington, D.C., as well as ALL from Southern California. It was Dave’s first chance to play guitar, and for the entire history of DBL, he has played guitar and sung. The first incarnation of Down by Law was a collaboration between Smalley, de facto leader of the band, as well as Chemical People members Dave Naz and Ed Urlik, and second guitarist Chris Bagarozzi. This lineup released the 1989 self-titled album as well as the 1992 followup blue. Between the release of blue and Down by Law’s next album, the band saw some lineup shakeups.

Despite Dave Naz being featured on a majority of the songs released between blue and punkrockacademyfightsong, Hunter Oswald was credited as the band’s main drummer on releases such as “D.C. Guns”. Ed Urlik was also replaced with bassist Pat Hoed, who would be replaced by Angry John DiMambro before the release of the next album. Mark Phillips clung to his guitarship before being replaced with sleeper songwriting powerhouse Sam Williams III. This lineup – Smalley, Williams, DiMambro, and Oswald – is generally regarded as the band’s “classic” lineup, and it was this lineup that released the band’s two “classic” albums – 1994’s punkrockacademyfightsong and the 1996 double-LP followup All Scratched Up! (although, for ASU!, Oswald was replaced by Danny Westman on all but one track, “Dag Punk”, featured on the expanded vinyl edition). Down by Law’s stripped-down, raw skate punk sound was more layered and heavy on 1997’s Last of the Sharpshooters, the final of the classic albums, which saw some interesting interplay between the aforementioned heavy guitars and Dave’s smooth, crooning vocals. Danny Westman, Hunter Oswald’s replacement, had himself been replaced by Chris Lagerborg.

At this point, guitarist Sam Williams III had proven himself a songwriter, contributing “Attention: Anyone”, “No Has Beens”, “Daily Occurrance”, and “World Without Me” to ASU!, as well as collaborating with Smalley for the songs “Independence Day” and “All American”. For LotSS, Williams and Smalley collaborated on the songs “No Equalizer” (which became a very popular song among fans), “Burning Heart”, and “Factory Day”. Sam wholly wrote “D.J.G.” although Dave sung. It was by this album that the band was no longer only Smalley’s, but the combined effort of Smalley and Williams.

1999 saw the release of “Fly the Flag”, a middling and somewhat unknown release that did hold the fan favorite “Nothing Good on the Radio”. Sam and Dave collaborated on this track, as well as the title track and the song “Revolution Compromised”. DiMambro had exited the band before this album’s release, being replaced by Keith Davies. Interim drummer Chris Lagerborg had also been replaced by Milo Todesco.

In 1999, Sam Williams III formed his own band, Pseudo Heroes, who issued a split CD with Down by Law. DBL contributed five live covers (one of which Sam even sung) while Pseudo Heroes wrote five original songs. Pseudo Heroes would hop labels and release three albums from 2000 to 2005 before petering out. Meanwhile, DBL released the album windwardtidesandwaywardsails in 2003, which was a collaborative effort by the whole band; Dave and Sam co-wrote every track, with Keith Davies assisting with lyrics on “Next to Go” and singing “8th and Main”, a song he solely wrote.

The band would go radio silent over the next decade, however, resurfacing in 2009 to go on tour. In 2012, the band, now featuring former Pink Lincolns and Pseudo Heroes member Kevin Coss on bass, as well as two rotating drummers, Jack Criswell and Greg Gall, released Champions at Heart, a triumphant 16-song return to the punk scene. This lineup, with Noel Bisesti replacing Criswell and Gall on drums, released the EP “Revolution Time” in 2013. The band would go quiet again for a time, releasing the split CD “Equators” with End of Pipe, a Brazilian melodic hardcore band in 2015, DBL’s lineup remaining intact.

In 2018, the followup to Champions was released, All In. Noel Bisesti had departed, being replaced with the reinstated Jack Criswell. Coss had also departed, with Angry John DiMambro reentering the fold for a new take on the band’s “classic” lineup (though Coss took over bass duties on four songs). All In marked a period of new activity for the band, as it was quickly followed by the 2019 10" EP “Redoubt”, featuring three songs cut from All In, as well as a live-in-studio album Quick Hits, featuring new takes on old favorites (as well as Kevin Coss standing in for DiMambro on bass for one song, “Boredom”). In 2020, one of the band’s first non-CD remasters was released, a new edition of windwardtides… on vinyl, which had never been on that format previously. A new remaster of the “Revolution Time” EP was also announced, now on clear 12" vinyl.

Early in 2020, guitarist Sam Williams III began teasing the tenth album by Down by Law, which was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Entitled Lonely Town, it was released in 2021.

Current members
-Dave Smalley – vocals, guitar (1989–present)
-Sam Williams – guitar (1994–present)
-Jack Criswell – drums (2009-2012, 2018-present)
-John DiMambro – bass (1994-1999, 2017–present)

Former members
-Jaime Pina – guitar (1989)
-Dave Naz – drums, vocals (1989-1993)
-Ed Urlik – bass, vocals (1989-1993)
-Chris Bagarozzi – guitar, vocals (1989-1993)
-Mark Phillips – guitar, vocals (1993-1994)
-Pat Hoed – bass (1993-1994)
-Danny Westman – drums (1996-1997)
-Chris Lagerborg – drums (1997-1999)
-Milo Todesco – drums (1999-2003)
-Keith Davies – bass (1999-2003)
-Kevin Coss – bass (2009-2019)
-Hunter Oswald – drums (1993-1996)