Public Practice's Debut Album 'Gentle Grip' Out 5/15 via Wharf Cat Records

Public Practice is reviving the spirit of late '70s New York with their intoxicating brand of no wave-tinged dark disco. The band came in hot with their punchy balance of punk, funk, and pop on the critically acclaimed Distance is a Mirror EP in 2018. The Brooklyn-based band (who Paste recently named as "one of the 15 New York City bands you need to know right now") are excited to announce the forthcoming release of their debut album Gentle Grip on May 15 via Wharf Cat Records. Today Public Practice share the first taste of the album with the single "Compromised." Of the track the band's Sam York says "'Compromised' deals with the moral gymnastics that many of us struggle with daily just to be a human in this world. How do we balance our desire for material pleasures with our need to be seen as moral and good? What's more important, the shoe or where it came from? How it was made or how it looks? I am no shining example and I struggle with this constantly." The video for "Compromised" was directed by Josie Keefe and Jonny Campolo (Pill, P.E.) and they note, "Inspired by luscious lips, dazzling eyes and manicured hands of the past, we recreated layouts, postures, and makeup techniques from vintage cosmetic advertisements. The video splits the body into eyes, lips, and hands - bringing the artwork of Public Practice's music to life."

Since their inception Public Practice have built a reputation for their invigorating live performances. York's stage presence casts a spell like a young Debbie Harry, or Gudrun Gut circa Malaria! The band will tour heavily in support of Gentle Grip and have already confirmed their first set of shows including a March 13 support slot at Bowery Ballroom with A Place To Bury Strangers and a show at Brooklyn's Elsewhere March 28 with The Automatic and Shopping. Additionally Public Practice have two shows with Parquet Courts -- April 4 in Jersey City at White Eagle and the following night at Ardmor Music Hall in Ardmor, PA.The band will also tour the UK including a show in London on May 5. All dates are listed below.

Together, the foursome strikes a nimble balance between sharp punk, avant-garde flourishes, and traditional pop structures, creating bold, slinky rhythms and groove-filled hooks that get under your skin and into your dancing shoes. The musicians' unique chemistry and approach to songwriting is part of what makes their world so intriguing. Magnetic singer and lyricist Sam York and guitarist and principal sonic architect Vince McClelland, who were creative music partners for years prior to Public Practice's formation, come to the table with an anarchic perspective that intentionally challenges the very idea of what a song can be. Meanwhile Drew Citron, on bass/vocals/synth, and drummer/producer Scott Rosenthal are influenced by a more classic pop sensibility. Instead of clashing, these contrasting styles challenge and complement one another, resulting in an album full of spiraling tensions.

Inspired by influential New York bands like Liquid Liquid, and ESG the foursome are inclined toward music that sounds rough-hewn. "We were thinking about classic New York dance albums, and the thing that stuck out is that many sounded like they were recorded in less-than-ideal situations," McClelland says. "There was always something about them that felt somewhat home-cooked." McClelland has spent the past few years constructing a home studio with carefully chosen and occasionally hand-made equipment in an effort to recreate that "cobbled together" sound. Three quarters of Public Practice are engineers as well as instrumentalists, so their collection of gear combined with the recording rig McClelland built allowed the band to record Gentle Grip largely at their own hybrid practice space/studio in Brooklyn. "Having a space and setup that is unique, you're always going to have more of a signature sound," McClelland explains. They spent the better part of 2019 playing with sounds, riffing on McClelland's demos, and recording a number of songs live to tape. Although a handful of sessions occurred in traditional recording studios, the band's autonomy and ability to record themselves imbues their music with a sense of freedom and gives it a distinct character. Their setup and recording process led to a home-cooked sound; a record that is purely Public Practice.

York - who pens virtually of the lyrics - explores ideas about navigating the act of creating, relationships, and capitalism. Gentle Grip is a record, ultimately, about the truth of self. "You want to live a lie," York sings on today's single "Compromised," "You don't want to pick a side / You don't want to compromise..." As York puts it, "No one's moral compass reads true north at all times. We all want to be our best green recycling selves, yet still want to buy the shiny new shoes- How do you emotionally navigate through that? How do you balance material wants with the need to be seen as morally good?"

Public Practice have a knack not only for curious, catchy songwriting but also for old school New York drama, and a sound and presence that's classic and fresh all at once.

Gentle Grip track list:

1. Moon

2. Cities

3. Disposable

4. Each Other

5. Underneath

6. See You When I Want To

7. My Head

8. Compromised

9. Understanding

10. Leave Me Alone

11. How I Like It

12. Hesitation

Public Practice tour dates:

March 13 - New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom w/ A Place To Bury Strangers (New Colossus Fest)

March 28 - Brooklyn, NY - Elsewhere w/ The Automatic and Shopping

April 4 - Jersey City, NY - White Eagle w/ Parquet Courts

April 5 - Ardmor Music Hall, PA w/ Parquet Courts

April 4 - Southampton, UK - Heartbreakers

April 5 - London, UK - Electrowerks

April 6 - London, UK - Rough Trade East evening in-store

April 7 - Manchester, UK - Yes

April 8 - Leeds, UK - Brudenell Social Club, w/ Bambara

April 9 - Glasgow, UK - KNice N Sleazy

April 10 - Edinburgh, UK - Sneaky Pete's

April 12 - Birmingham, UK - Hare & Hounds

April 13 - Bristol, UK - Louisiana

April 14 - Brighton, UK - The Great Escape

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