Punch Brothers

Punch Brothers

Punch Brothers are a progressive bluegrass group formed in 2006 by Chris Thile in Brooklyn, United States. Their line-up includes Chris Thile on mandolin, Noam Pikelny on banjo, Chris Eldridge on guitar, Paul Kowert on bass and Brittany Haas on fiddle. Gabe Witcher is an originating member of the group and plays fiddle and violin; he leaves the band in 2023.

Style and repertoire

The group works across bluegrass, folk, classical and progressive bluegrass. Their performances combine original songs, traditional bluegrass and folk material, and arrangements of composers such as Bach and Mozart. They also play covers drawn from artists including Radiohead, The Beatles, The Band, The White Stripes and The Strokes.

Recordings and releases

Their 2008 debut album is Punch, followed by Antifogmatic on Nonesuch. Antifogmatic is issued as the band’s second album, and a deluxe edition includes the instrumental EP All of This Is True and the DVD Live from the Lower East Side: It’s p-Bingo Night!, filmed during a residency at The Living Room in New York.

Live work and appearances

Punch Brothers perform in a wide range of settings, from small clubs to concert halls and festivals. Their regular New York residency is at The Living Room, and they also play at venues including Carnegie Hall, the Somerville Theater, the Old Town School in Chicago, the Herbst Theater in San Francisco, Benaroya Hall in Seattle, Sheldon Hall in St. Louis, Mondavi Center in Davis, Pabst Theater in Milwaukee and the Allen Room in New York. Festivals mentioned in connection with the band include Bonnaroo, Ravinia, Aspen, Telluride, Spoleto, Savannah and Chamber Music Northwest. They also appear on television, including The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and tour as support for Paul Simon, sometimes joining him on “The Boxer”.

Other projects and members’ backgrounds

Chris Thile also leads the band’s compositional work, including the four-movement chamber suite The Blind Leaving the Blind. Before Punch Brothers, he plays in Nickel Creek, releases solo recordings, works in duos with Edgar Meyer and Mike Marshall, and collaborates with artists including Béla Fleck, Dolly Parton, the Dixie Chicks, Jerry Douglas, Sam Bush, Yo-Yo Ma, Renée Fleming and Joshua Bell. Chris Eldridge studies at Oberlin Conservatory, earns a degree in Music Performance in 2004, and is a founding member of The Infamous Stringdusters. Paul Kowert is from Madison, Wisconsin, studies at The Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, performs with orchestras, and appears with groups including Darol Anger’s Republic of Strings and the Big Trio. Noam Pikelny is from Chicago, studies at the Old Town School of Folk Music and the University of Illinois, plays with Leftover Salmon and John Cowan, and releases a solo record on Compass Records. Gabe Witcher begins with classical violin and bluegrass fiddle, plays in The Witcher Brothers and The Laurel Canyon Ramblers, and contributes to more than 300 records as well as film and television scores, including Brokeback Mountain.

Media and profile

The band is the subject of a feature-length documentary titled How to Grow a Band. Their style and members’ varied musical backgrounds give the group a reputation for moving between traditional and experimental acoustic forms.