Purr

Forming an indie pop duo whose nostalgic aesthetic draws on fluid melodies, an organic production approach, and inviting vocal blends, Purr unites songwriters, musicians, and childhood companions Eliza Barry Callahan and Jack Staffen. Earlier, the pair recorded together as Jack + Eliza, a venture marked by minimal backing, whereas Purr's output employs richer textures and a broader instrumental range that frequently nods to '60s pop traditions. The duo first surfaced publicly via the 2018 single "Bad Advice" b/w "Painted Memory," which highlighted their gifts as composers and singers, and they honed their approach further on the debut full-length, 2020's Like New. Their 2023 release, Who Is Afraid of Blue?, incorporated electronic touches and broader sonic canvases.

Eliza Barry Callahan and Jack Staffen had known each other since childhood and began collaborating musically in eighth grade once Callahan joined a group fronted by Staffen on drums. By high school they were composing material jointly, and they maintained the partnership through college years, with both attending institutions in New York City—Staffen at the Gallatin School at New York University and Callahan at Columbia University. Their work attracted the interest of Yebo Music, a label and management firm, which issued the five-song EP No Wonders in 2014 as their first Jack + Eliza recording. The 2015 full-length Gentle Warnings followed and connected with listeners, as two tracks, "Oh No" and "Hold the Line," gained substantial streaming traction, the latter even appearing on Volume 53 of the Now That's What I Call Music! compilation series.

Although Jack + Eliza performed the occasional concert, fresh material remained absent until a November 2016 social media message announced, "We're working very hard on new stuff for you in new formats and in different ways." In February 2018 the pair unveiled Purr through a three-night engagement at New York City's Baby's All Right club, then shared the digital single "Bad Advice" b/w "Painted Memory" later that month. The B-side accumulated more than two million streams across major platforms, and after issuing "Gates of Cool" in November 2018, the act signed with the independent label Anti- Records. Purr's first album, Like New, appeared in February 2020. Soon afterward Callahan endured a medical emergency that left her largely deaf, halting all activity just as the COVID-19 pandemic closed live venues. A year later she joined a clinical trial testing a novel hearing-loss therapy, regained her hearing completely, and rejoined Staffen to create new songs. Six months later they finished the material that became Who Is Afraid of Blue?, released by Anti- in June 2023.