[3] Diaz, Leonor and Luna initially wanted a female vocalist; but in the course of their search, Jett Pangan auditioned and got the trio's unanimous nod.

The quartet began performing in clubs and eventually recorded a demo of a song entitled "Enveloped Ideas", a copy of which they submitted to DWXB 102.7, a now-defunct Metro Manila-based FM radio station that played alternative rock and new wave music.

In 1986, The Dawn signed with OctoArts International (now PolyEast Records Philippines) and, the next summer, released their self-titled debut album, which gained commercial success.

Many critics felt that The Dawn would fill the void left behind by the Juan de la Cruz Band when their music slowly faded in the 1980s.

Heavily influenced by the new wave genre of the 1980s, "Enveloped Ideas" is distinct for its introductory operatic vocals a la Klaus Nomi.

At the height of their popularity, and just weeks after the release of their second album I Stand with You, containing the title track, "Magtanim Ay 'Di Biro" and "Love (Will Set Us Free)", Diaz was stabbed to death in front of his girlfriend's house on 21 August 1988 by two men allegedly under the influence of drugs and alcohol.

On 31 December 1999, they reunited with both Francis Reyes and Atsushi Matsuura on guitars and performed on GMA Networks' 2000 Global Millennium Day Broadcast in Ayala Avenue in Makati.

[5] 2001 saw the band actively engaged in the live circuit, embarking on an eight-city US tour and were in New York City when 9/11 turned the World Trade Center into ground zero.

In October 2005, bass player Mon Legaspi amicably left the band to pursue other projects and was replaced by Buddy Zabala, formerly of The Eraserheads.

Around this time, The Dawn also contributed to the APO Hiking Society tribute album kami nAPO muna with a cover of Bawat Bata ("Every Child").

[16][17] By the later dates in June and July 2016, Mon Legaspi briefly returned to the band filling bass duties for Balcells who was unavailable at that time.

They would perform a follow-up to their 30th anniversary concert dubbed "Trenta y Uno" on 31 March and also announced they will be having a US and Canada tour on the third quarter of the year.

[19] On 11 October 2017, vocalist Jett Pangan made a Facebook post that the band had begun writing and recording for their upcoming 12th studio album.