Pianos Become the Teeth

Pianos Become the Teeth

Pianos Become the Teeth are a post-hardcore group from Baltimore, United States, active from 2006 to the present. Their music draws on post-rock, early screamo, emo and rock, and they are associated with post-hardcore and post-rock screamo as well as indie.

Formation and early releases

The band forms in late 2006 in Baltimore. Its first release is the Saltwater EP, which appears in 2008 on Doomed by Dawn Records. In early 2009, the group releases a split EP with Ezra Joyce, including the track “Creatures of Habit”.

The debut album Old Pride comes out in 2009 on Blackjaw Records. The band signs to Topshelf Recordings later that year, and Old Pride is reissued in 2010 through digital outlets and on CD. A vinyl edition follows in June 2010 as a joint release with Mayfly Records. The reissue reaches a wider audience and receives strong reviews.

Albums and later work

In support of Old Pride, Pianos Become the Teeth tour the United States with Touché Amoré and Lemuria. In October 2010, they release a split EP with The Saddest Landscape through Just Say No! Records.

By January 2011, the band is writing new material and describes it as darker and heavier than earlier songs, rather than a continuation of Old Pride. Recording for The Lack Long After begins on 1 August 2011 at Developing Nations Studio with producer Kevin Bernsten, and Topshelf Records releases the LP on 1 November 2011. A supporting tour with Touché Amoré and Seahaven follows.

The band signs with Epitaph Records in 2014 and releases its third studio album, Keep You, on that label. Produced by Will Yip, the album marks a clear stylistic shift from earlier material, with a less aggressive sound and no screamed vocals from Kyle Durfey. The band promotes the record with an online stream of “Repine” in August 2014.

Line-up and labels

The group consists of Kyle Durfey, David Haik, Chad McDonald, Zac Sewell and Mike York. Over its career, it releases music through Doomed by Dawn Records, Blackjaw Records, Topshelf Records, Mayfly Records, Just Say No! Records, Epitaph Records and Pianos Publishing.