Pygmy Lush

***Acoustic strums, beautiful vocal harmonies, pianos, keyboards, and swelling ambient noise— not the kind of music one might assume would come from a band made up of veteran punk musicians, on a veteran punk record label. This is just the next step in the journey of Northern Virginia’s PYGMY LUSH, one that has been marked by redefinition and rebirth. The sound of this record is one that’s come only with age and experience, after thousands of miles have been logged in cramped touring vans. They’re following a path that many punks seem to follow as the years go on; The need for quiet, the need for space, for reflection and introspection, but the same amount of need for honesty, passion and expression. These feelings get put into something tangible in an old farmhouse near a far out Washington DC suburb, where Pygmy Lush live, write and practice, tucked away. They’ve tried to carve out a niche of solace in the middle of endless sameness, a place where they can stand. A lot of the songs are about friendships and connection, unsurprisingly. The things that bind us together through the years, and the things that split us apart. A couple of new members help to seal the deal on Old Friends. AIMEE ARGOTE of DES ARK; friend, tourmate, labelmate, and now honorary member, contributes vocals to over half the tracks, and some piano as well. You might have seen new drummer ERIC KANE over the years, serving up a fast paced soundtrack to stagediving and high fiving for Richmond punk act STRIKE ANYWHERE. Old Friends was recorded and mixed in just 4 days by KURT BALLOU in Salem, MA. The band will be touring most of 2011 in support of the record. (STREET DATE - 5/03/2011)