The Philistines Jr.

Brothers Tarquin and Peter Katis formed the core of the Philistines Jr. alongside drummer Adam Pierce, shaping the Connecticut-based group into an unpredictable and spirited indie rock outfit since the late 1980s. The project has consistently delivered inventive, reflective music whose lyrics shift between lighthearted whimsy and deeper melancholy. Favoring deliberate pacing and thematic song cycles, the band’s limited full-length releases—such as 1995’s The Sinking of the S.S. Danehower and 2010’s If a Band Plays in the Woods...?—offer humorous, self-mocking reflections on their enduring underdog position and life’s setbacks. Their sound drifts freely among peppy indie pop, space rock, exotica, and Casio-driven synth pop. Beyond the Philistines Jr., the members have pursued parallel endeavors including the Happiest Guys in the World and the NHL-approved hockey rockers the Zambonis, while Peter Katis has earned widespread regard as a producer and engineer on notable albums by Interpol, the National, Frightened Rabbit, and additional artists.

Peter Katis launched the project as a University of Vermont freshman in 1985, with the band’s debut campus performance supporting local favorites Phish. In 1989 he enrolled in music production courses at SUNY Purchase, where he gained experience as an intern, assistant, and engineer across New York City studios before beginning to record with his brother Tarquin. Their first EP, Greenwich, CT, emerged as the initial release on Tarquin Records—the label responsible for most of the group’s later output—and was recorded and mixed entirely at SUNY Purchase. College radio embraced the record, prompting John Peel to become a supporter and personally call the band to convey his enthusiasm. The Philistines Jr. ultimately taped three Peel Sessions and toured repeatedly across the United States and the U.K.

A second EP, The Continuing Struggle of..., surfaced in 1993, followed by the 1995 debut album The Sinking of the S.S. Danehower once Adam Pierce—founder of Bubble Core Records and later known for his Mice Parade project—had joined on drums. The band also served frequently as backing musicians for Vermont cartoonist and songwriter James Kochalka. After issuing several 7" singles, including a split with Moby’s one-off Schaumgummi project, the Philistines Jr. resurfaced in 2001 with the expansive Analog vs. Digital (Or We Don’t Get the Respect We Deserve in Today’s Scientific Community), whose closing track “55 M.P.H.” included short solos from associates such as Guster and R. Stevie Moore.

Following years devoted to side projects and production work, the group delivered its third album, If a Band Plays in the Woods...?, in 2010. The following year the set was reissued as If a Lot of Bands Play in the Woods..., adding a second disc of remixes and covers from Mercury Rev, Oneida, Nico Muhly, and other artists who had collaborated with Peter Katis. After another stretch focused on studio commitments and family life, the Philistines Jr. released their fourth full-length, Help!, in 2019.