Punch Brothers
Encyclopedia
Punch Brothers are a progressive bluegrass
band. The band consists of Chris Thile
(mandolin), Gabe Witcher
(fiddle/violin), Noam Pikelny
(banjo), Chris Eldridge
(guitar), and Paul Kowert (bass). Their style has been described as "bluegrass instrumentation and spontaneity in the structures of modern classical."
. In an interview with the Nashville City Paper, Thile described the formation of the band:
Initially the band was known as "The How to Grow a Band." In 2007, the band officially changed its name first to "The Tensions Mountain Boys" and then settled on "Punch Brothers." The band names comes from the critical line of a virus-like jingle that is the centerpiece of Mark Twain's
short story A Literary Nightmare
(later re-published as Punch, Brother, Punch).
On February 13, 2008, the band set off on their first countrywide tour as Punch Brothers.
On February 26, 2008, Punch Brothers released the album, Punch, on Nonesuch Records
. The album features Thile's suite "The Blind Leaving the Blind", as well as other original songs.
In March 2008, when Chris Thile was asked in an interview if there would be another album by Punch Brothers, Thile said that "there will definitely be another album."
On November 8, 2008, the band announced on their website that they parted ways with bass player Greg Garrison. Paul Kowert, who studied under Edgar Meyer
at the Curtis Institute of Music, takes Garrison's place on the bass.
over the last two years, Antifogmatic is the first Punch Brothers album on which he appears.
Progressive bluegrass
Progressive bluegrass is one of two major subgenres of bluegrass music. It is also known as newgrass, a term attributed to New Grass Revival member Ebo Walker. Musicians and bands John Hartford, New Grass Revival, J.D. Crowe and the New South, The Dillards, Boone Creek, Country Gazette, and the...
band. The band consists of Chris Thile
Chris Thile
Christopher Scott Thile is an American musician, best known as the mandolinist and a singer for the progressive acoustic trio Nickel Creek. His current band is Punch Brothers whose most recent album is Antifogmatic...
(mandolin), Gabe Witcher
Gabe Witcher
Gabe Witcher is an American fiddle player and singer, possibly best known for being a member of Chris Thile's band, Punch Brothers. Witcher started fiddling at the age of 5, and competed in Southern California fiddling competitions until he was 14...
(fiddle/violin), Noam Pikelny
Noam Pikelny
Noam Pikelny is an American banjoist. He is a member of the "Americana country-classical chamber music" group Punch Brothers and was previously in Leftover Salmon as well as the John Cowan Band.-History:...
(banjo), Chris Eldridge
Chris Eldridge
Chris Eldridge is an American guitarist and singer best known for being a member of Punch Brothers. He was also a founding member of the bluegrass band The Infamous Stringdusters. His father is noted banjoist Ben Eldridge of the Seldom Scene.-Punch Brothers:...
(guitar), and Paul Kowert (bass). Their style has been described as "bluegrass instrumentation and spontaneity in the structures of modern classical."
2006-2007: Beginnings and Grow
Thile formed the band in 2006 to record the album How to Grow a Woman from the GroundHow to Grow a Woman from the Ground
How to Grow a Woman from the Ground is a 2006 album by Chris Thile & the How to Grow a Band, credited to Chris Thile. It was released on Sugar Hill on September 12, 2006...
. In an interview with the Nashville City Paper, Thile described the formation of the band:
Initially the band was known as "The How to Grow a Band." In 2007, the band officially changed its name first to "The Tensions Mountain Boys" and then settled on "Punch Brothers." The band names comes from the critical line of a virus-like jingle that is the centerpiece of Mark Twain's
Mark Twain
Samuel Langhorne Clemens , better known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American author and humorist...
short story A Literary Nightmare
A Literary Nightmare
"A Literary Nightmare" is a short story written by Mark Twain in 1876. The story is about Twain's encounter with a virus-like jingle, and how it occupies his mind for several days until he manages to "infect" another person, thus removing the jingle from his mind...
(later re-published as Punch, Brother, Punch).
2007-2009: "The Blind Leaving the Blind" and Punch
On March 17, 2007, this group debuted Chris Thile's most ambitious work to date at Carnegie Hall: "The Blind Leaving the Blind", a forty minute suite in four movements. Thile says the piece was written in part to deal with his divorce of 2003.On February 13, 2008, the band set off on their first countrywide tour as Punch Brothers.
On February 26, 2008, Punch Brothers released the album, Punch, on Nonesuch Records
Nonesuch Records
Nonesuch Records is an American record label, owned by Warner Music Group and distributed by Warner Bros. Records.-Company history:Nonesuch was founded in 1964 by Jac Holzman to produce "fine records at the same price as a trade paperback", which would be half the price of a normal LP...
. The album features Thile's suite "The Blind Leaving the Blind", as well as other original songs.
In March 2008, when Chris Thile was asked in an interview if there would be another album by Punch Brothers, Thile said that "there will definitely be another album."
On November 8, 2008, the band announced on their website that they parted ways with bass player Greg Garrison. Paul Kowert, who studied under Edgar Meyer
Edgar Meyer
Edgar Meyer is a prominent contemporary bassist and composer. His styles include classical, bluegrass, newgrass, and jazz. Meyer has worked as a session musician in Nashville, part of various chamber groups, a composer, and an arranger...
at the Curtis Institute of Music, takes Garrison's place on the bass.
2010-Present: Antifogmatic
Antifogmatic, the second album by Punch Brothers, was released on June 15, 2010 and features both traditional bluegrass and newgrass styles on the ten-track listing. Though bassist Kowert has toured extensively with the band in support of PunchPunch (album)
-Credits:*Producer: Steven Epstein*Engineer: Richard King*Assistant engineers: Hyomin Kang, Don Goodrick*Mixing: Steven Epstein, Richard King*Mastering: Steven Epstein, Richard King*Cover photography: Autumn de Wilde*Wardrobe: Shirley Kurata...
over the last two years, Antifogmatic is the first Punch Brothers album on which he appears.
Documentary: How to Grow A Band (2011)
The band is also the focus of the documentary "How to Grow A Band" directed by Mark Meatto. It was filmed over a two year period and, according to the website, "explores the tensions between individual talents and group identity, art and commerce, youth and wisdom." The film premiered at the 42nd Nashville Film Festival in Nashville, Tennessee on April 15, 2011. The film is also screening as part of the 38th Annual Telluride Bluegrass Festival in June 2011.Band members
Current members
- Chris ThileChris ThileChristopher Scott Thile is an American musician, best known as the mandolinist and a singer for the progressive acoustic trio Nickel Creek. His current band is Punch Brothers whose most recent album is Antifogmatic...
- MandolinMandolinA mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
, Vocals - Gabe WitcherGabe WitcherGabe Witcher is an American fiddle player and singer, possibly best known for being a member of Chris Thile's band, Punch Brothers. Witcher started fiddling at the age of 5, and competed in Southern California fiddling competitions until he was 14...
- FiddleFiddleThe term fiddle may refer to any bowed string musical instrument, most often the violin. It is also a colloquial term for the instrument used by players in all genres, including classical music...
, Vocals - Noam PikelnyNoam PikelnyNoam Pikelny is an American banjoist. He is a member of the "Americana country-classical chamber music" group Punch Brothers and was previously in Leftover Salmon as well as the John Cowan Band.-History:...
- BanjoBanjoIn the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
, Vocals - Chris EldridgeChris EldridgeChris Eldridge is an American guitarist and singer best known for being a member of Punch Brothers. He was also a founding member of the bluegrass band The Infamous Stringdusters. His father is noted banjoist Ben Eldridge of the Seldom Scene.-Punch Brothers:...
- GuitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, Vocals - Paul Kowert - Bass, Vocals
Former members
- Bryan SuttonBryan SuttonBryan Sutton is an American musician. Primarily known as a flatpicked acoustic guitar player, Sutton also plays many other instruments including mandolin, banjo, and electric guitar....
- Guitar, Vocals (2006–2007) - Greg Garrison - Bass, Vocals (2006–2008)
Albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Grass | US Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
US Heat Top Heatseekers Top Heatseekers refers to either of two separate "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by Billboard Magazine: the Heatseekers Albums chart or the Heatseekers Songs chart. They were introduced by Billboard in 1993 with the purpose of highlighting the sales by new and developing musical... |
US Rock | ||
| Punch Punch (album) -Credits:*Producer: Steven Epstein*Engineer: Richard King*Assistant engineers: Hyomin Kang, Don Goodrick*Mixing: Steven Epstein, Richard King*Mastering: Steven Epstein, Richard King*Cover photography: Autumn de Wilde*Wardrobe: Shirley Kurata... |
|
1 | — | 10 | — |
| Antifogmatic Antifogmatic (album) - Bonus Tracks :- All of This Is True EP :- Live from the Lower East Side: It's p-Bingo Night! :- Punch Brothers :* Chris Thile - mandolin, vocals* Gabe Witcher - fiddle, vocals* Noam Pikelny - banjo, vocals* Chris Eldridge - guitar, vocals... |
Nonesuch Records Nonesuch Records is an American record label, owned by Warner Music Group and distributed by Warner Bros. Records.-Company history:Nonesuch was founded in 1964 by Jac Holzman to produce "fine records at the same price as a trade paperback", which would be half the price of a normal LP... |
2 | 128 | 1 | 39 |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||||