Biography
The members of O'Death hail from scattered points along the Eastern Seaboard and first converged in 2003 as students at the State University of New York at Purchase. Their core draws from folk traditions, above all bluegrass and old-time music, yet punk, grunge, swing, rock, metal, and jazz exert strong influence on the way the songs are arranged. Founding participants included drummer David Rogers-Berry and singer/guitarist Greg Jamie; the former approached the latter after a solo performance and proposed forming a gothic folk outfit. Rogers-Berry had played drums since childhood, and his manic folk-punk approach remains central to the group’s identity. Paired with Jamie’s unruly vocals—an unpredictable mix of singing, speaking, and shouting—this combination produced an unusual fusion of alt-rock and hardcore traditional music.
Guitarist Gabe Darling joined next and, after two years, moved to banjo. His ragged technique incorporates unexpected percussive touches that owe little to conventional rock or bluegrass yet mesh seamlessly with the band’s overall attack. At their initial rehearsal the musicians wrote three songs together and recognized a clear creative path forward. The name O'Death, taken from Dock Boggs’ best-known number, signals their committed stance toward the material. As the sound developed, fiddler Bob Pycior came aboard; he serves as the connective force that unifies the disparate elements in their arrangements, continually urging the others to explore new musical territory while matching Jamie’s intensity during performances. Bassist Jesse Newman, who earned a Master’s degree in music at SUNY Purchase, arrived last; once he joined, the lineup stabilized.
Original songs are composed collectively, with every member contributing to lyrics, melodies, and structures. Although the results often feel spontaneous and ageless, the arrangements deliberately shift from chaotic jug-band pulses to fervent Southern gospel eruptions, revealing careful planning. The mix of acoustic and electric instruments lets the group reach both rock audiences and devoted folk listeners. During this period the band settled into regular shows at New York City’s Apocalypse Lounge in the East Village. “By the time we stopped playing these shows we were ready to play in public,” Jamie recalls. “We’d built a reputation as a crazy live band but nothing will ever be as crazy as the shows at Apocalypse.”
While sharpening their live and recorded skills, they produced a ten-track CD-R, Carl Nemelka Family Photographs, in 2004 for sale at gigs. Though rough, the recording captures the players discovering their collective voice. Their first proper album, Head Home, appeared later that year and demonstrated striking artistic progress. Like the earlier release, it was never aimed at broad distribution because the members felt unequipped to handle proper release logistics. CD Baby, Insound, and other online outlets carried it until relentless touring drew the notice of Ernest Jenning Records, which began national distribution of Head Home in June 2007. City Slang issued the album across Europe that summer. The band kept touring the United States and Europe in the months that followed. Ernest Jenning pressed a limited run of five hundred vinyl copies in late 2007 and, in October of the same year, released a 7-inch featuring the new tracks “Low Tide” and “I Think I’m Fine” alongside a cover of the Pixies’ “Nimrod’s Son.”
Broken Hymns, Limbs and Skin arrived in 2008, followed by Outside in 2011. Jamie moved to Maine in 2012, and the rest of the group eventually joined him there. Northern Spy put out Out of Hands We Go in the fall of 2014.
Guitarist Gabe Darling joined next and, after two years, moved to banjo. His ragged technique incorporates unexpected percussive touches that owe little to conventional rock or bluegrass yet mesh seamlessly with the band’s overall attack. At their initial rehearsal the musicians wrote three songs together and recognized a clear creative path forward. The name O'Death, taken from Dock Boggs’ best-known number, signals their committed stance toward the material. As the sound developed, fiddler Bob Pycior came aboard; he serves as the connective force that unifies the disparate elements in their arrangements, continually urging the others to explore new musical territory while matching Jamie’s intensity during performances. Bassist Jesse Newman, who earned a Master’s degree in music at SUNY Purchase, arrived last; once he joined, the lineup stabilized.
Original songs are composed collectively, with every member contributing to lyrics, melodies, and structures. Although the results often feel spontaneous and ageless, the arrangements deliberately shift from chaotic jug-band pulses to fervent Southern gospel eruptions, revealing careful planning. The mix of acoustic and electric instruments lets the group reach both rock audiences and devoted folk listeners. During this period the band settled into regular shows at New York City’s Apocalypse Lounge in the East Village. “By the time we stopped playing these shows we were ready to play in public,” Jamie recalls. “We’d built a reputation as a crazy live band but nothing will ever be as crazy as the shows at Apocalypse.”
While sharpening their live and recorded skills, they produced a ten-track CD-R, Carl Nemelka Family Photographs, in 2004 for sale at gigs. Though rough, the recording captures the players discovering their collective voice. Their first proper album, Head Home, appeared later that year and demonstrated striking artistic progress. Like the earlier release, it was never aimed at broad distribution because the members felt unequipped to handle proper release logistics. CD Baby, Insound, and other online outlets carried it until relentless touring drew the notice of Ernest Jenning Records, which began national distribution of Head Home in June 2007. City Slang issued the album across Europe that summer. The band kept touring the United States and Europe in the months that followed. Ernest Jenning pressed a limited run of five hundred vinyl copies in late 2007 and, in October of the same year, released a 7-inch featuring the new tracks “Low Tide” and “I Think I’m Fine” alongside a cover of the Pixies’ “Nimrod’s Son.”
Broken Hymns, Limbs and Skin arrived in 2008, followed by Outside in 2011. Jamie moved to Maine in 2012, and the rest of the group eventually joined him there. Northern Spy put out Out of Hands We Go in the fall of 2014.
Albums
