Biography
Publicist UK may carry a name that suggests British origins or a profession in promotion, yet the quartet is in fact a post-punk outfit whose music fuses indie rock, goth, metal, and hardcore into a brooding, atmospheric whole that remains powerful, varied, and inventive without tipping into affectation. The group, composed entirely of veterans from the underground, came together in 2013 when guitarist David Obuchowski—already known for his work in Goes Cube and Distant Correspondent—joined forces with vocalist Zachary Lipez, previously of Freshkills. Their acquaintance began during a joint tour by Goes Cube and Freshkills, after which the pair exchanged song ideas by email between Obuchowski’s Colorado residence and Lipez’s New York home. Once the material felt substantial enough to pursue, Obuchowski recruited bassist Brett Bamberger, whose prior credits include Revocation and East of the Wall; days later Bamberger brought in drummer Dave Witte, a Virginia resident whose résumé lists Municipal Waste, Melt Banana, and Burnt by the Sun. With the lineup now complete, the band recorded its first demo in summer 2014. The combination of the members’ established reputations and the music’s singular character quickly drew notice within metal circles, even though the sound diverged from conventional metal expectations; Decibel Magazine, Noisey, and MetalSucks all published favorable coverage, prompting Relapse Records to offer the band a contract. While tracking their debut album under producer Dean Baltulonis, the group saw two tracks from the original demo issued as a single on Static Tension Recordings in conjunction with Record Store Day 2015. Relapse released the finished album, Forgive Yourself, in August 2015.
Albums