Biography
Ezra Furman & the Harpoons formed as a Chicago-rooted ensemble centered on the songwriting of frontman Furman, whose compositions blend quirky humor, raw confessional verses, and sharp pop hooks. Born and raised in Chicago, Furman first explored songcraft during his teenage years after receiving a guitar as a bar mitzvah gift. He kept his work private until early 2006, when enrollment at Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts led to connections with guitarist Jahn Sood, bassist Job Mukkada, and drummer Adam Abrutyn. The quartet launched the band and performed at campus spots along with sporadic trips to Boston; within months they tracked and self-issued the album Beat Beat Beat. Following repeated local gigs and intermittent road work, including street performances in New York throughout the 2007 CMJ Music Marathon, the group drew interest from Minty Fresh Records. The label paired them with producer Brian Deck for sessions that yielded their initial wide-release effort, Banging Down the Doors. In 2008 Sood departed, Andrew Langer stepped in on guitar, and the lineup shifted base to Chicago. Langer featured on the next Minty Fresh release, Inside the Human Body, again produced by Deck; both the Chicago Tribune and Paste Magazine listed it among the strongest Chicago albums of that year. Furman maintained a steady touring schedule both with the Harpoons and alone, allowing favorable coverage and grassroots momentum to expand their audience. The band’s fourth album, Mysterious Power, arrived in 2011 after recording in Los Angeles under producer Doug Boehm and appeared via Red Parlor Records.
Albums
