Accessibility links
Punch Brothers Punch Brothers artist page: interviews, features and/or performances archived at NPR Music

Punch Brothers

New Music Friday For July 20: Six Albums You Should Hear Now

Meg Myers' Take Me To The Disco is on our shortlist for the best albums out on July 20. Brantley Gutierrez/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

toggle caption
Brantley Gutierrez/Courtesy of the artist

All Songs Considered

New Music Friday For July 20: Six Albums You Should Hear Now

This week features sultry R&B from The Internet, seething rock from songwriter Meg Myers, the "Joy" of Ty Segall & White Fence, a new album from the bluegrass group Punch Brothers and more.

New Music Friday for July 20: Six Albums You Should Hear Now

Listen · 20:47
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/630424248/630438664" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Punch Brothers: Newport Folk 2010
Shantel Mitchell for NPR

Newport Folk Festival

Punch Brothers: Newport Folk 2010

Folk Alley

When Nickel Creek broke up in 2006, it was only a matter of time before the massively popular bluegrass band would spin off into new projects. Hear Chris Thile's band play live in Newport, R.I.

Punch Brothers: Newport Folk 2010

Listen · 58:10
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/128721757/128914893" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Punch Brothers On Mountain Stage

Punch Brothers. Brian Blauser/Mountain Stage hide caption

toggle caption
Brian Blauser/Mountain Stage

Mountain Stage

Punch Brothers On Mountain Stage

Chris Thile's quintet continues to push the boundaries of bluegrass into experimental rock territory on Who's Feeling Young Now?

Punch Brothers On Mountain Stage

  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/154855216/154756718" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Chris Thile And Michael Daves: Tiny Desk Concert
Mito Habe-Evans/Mito Habe-Evans/NPR

Tiny Desk

Chris Thile And Michael Daves: Tiny Desk Concert

Thile and Daves play the traditional bluegrass music of icons Bill Monroe, Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs with New York City intensity. Watch the dexterous duo perform songs from Sleep With One Eye Open at the NPR Music offices.

Chris Thile And Michael Daves: Tiny Desk Concert

Listen · 23:38
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/137090061/137126322" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Mountain Stage

Punch Brothers On Mountain Stage

Founded by mandolin virtuoso and Nickel Creek alumnus Chris Thile, the band plays traditional bluegrass instruments while immersed in progressive compositional ideas. Hear the group show off selections from their new suite.

Listen Now: Punch Brothers On Mountain Stage

  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/92748207/92735525" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Music Interviews

Bluegrass Suite Packs a Progressive 'Punch'

Mandolin virtuoso Chris Thile has long been at the vanguard of progressive bluegrass music. But his new work is his most ambitious yet: Part chamber music, part song cycle, "The Blind Leaving the Blind" is a four-movement, 40-minute suite for bluegrass instruments.

Bluegrass Suite Packs a Progressive 'Punch'

Listen
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/69406288/87809176" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Cabinet Of Wonders

Cabinet Of Wonders: Episode One

John Wesley Harding laments the Starbucks-ization of America, great music from Josh Ritter, Edie Brickell, and Punch Brothers. Then questionable life advice from Sarah Vowell and Eugene Mirman, topped with Haley Tanner's homage to a favorite writer.

Listen to this Episode

Listen · 52:43
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/153223641/153296660" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
Punch Brothers: Sophisticated Strings

Punch Brothers' members perform in WFUV's Studio A in New York. Tim Teeling/WFUV hide caption

toggle caption
Tim Teeling/WFUV

Favorite Sessions

Punch Brothers: Sophisticated Strings

WFUV On-Air: Music Discovery Starts Here

Hear the subtle pleasures, strange musical structures and opaque lyrics of the popular string band, led by Nickel Creek's Chris Thile, in this studio session with WFUV.

Punch Brothers: Sophisticated Strings

  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/151379685/151369023" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Noam Pikelny And Friends On Mountain Stage

Noam Pikelny & Friends. Brian Blauser/Mountain Stage hide caption

toggle caption
Brian Blauser/Mountain Stage

Mountain Stage

Noam Pikelny And Friends On Mountain Stage

The Punch Brothers member and first-ever recipient of the "Steve Martin Prize for Excellence in Banjo and Bluegrass" brings along a few friends for his first trip to the show.

Noam Pikelny And Friends On Mountain Stage

  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/150416770/150360029" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Punch Brothers On Mountain Stage

Chris Thile and his band Punch Brothers perform on Mountain Stage. /Brian Blauser hide caption

toggle caption
/Brian Blauser

Mountain Stage

Punch Brothers On Mountain Stage

Listen to Chris Thile's new group bring innovative string-band music to West Virginia's most famous stage.

Punch Brothers On Mountain Stage

  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/132203317/132204720" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Music Interviews

Punch Brothers Serve Up A Bluegrass Cocktail

The bluegrass supergroup led by mandolin player Chris Thile has released a sophomore album titled Antifogmatic, named for a type of drink that staves off the effects of bad weather. Together with Noam Pikelny on banjo, fiddler Gabe Witcher, guitarist Chris Eldridge and bassist Paul Kowert, the band combines bluegrass instrumentation with elements of classical music and rock 'n roll.

Punch Brothers Serve Up A Bluegrass Cocktail

Listen · 11:05
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/128871366/128893816" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
Bonnaroo 2010: Punch Brothers In Concert

Chris Thile and his Punch Brothers kick off the festivities at the "That" tent at the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Manchester, Tenn. Wills Glasspiegel hide caption

toggle caption
Wills Glasspiegel

Live From Bonnaroo

Bonnaroo 2010: Punch Brothers In Concert

Nickel Creek was as successful as contemporary bluegrass groups get when the band broke up amidst personal turmoil in 2006. Singer and mandolinist Chris Thile formed Punch Brothers in the aftermath of Nickel Creek's demise, and used it to explore his progressive, experimental side. Hear Punch Brothers perform live from the Bonnaroo Music Festival in Manchester, Tenn.

Listen Now: Punch Brothers In Concert

Audio is no longer available
Bonnaroo 2010: A Look Back

All Songs Considered

Bonnaroo 2010: A Look Back

On this All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen examines some of the highlights from the enormous Bonaroo Music Festival with Rita Houston of WFUV, Andy Uhler of KUT and Jill Riley of The Current.

Bonnaroo 2010: A Look Back

Listen · 59:06
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/127879040/127879039" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

World Cafe

Punch Brothers: Chamber Bluegrass Pickers

XPN

The acoustic bluegrass superpickers, Punch Brothers, combine bluegrass instrumentation with modern classical composition. Formed by mandolin player Chris Thile, of Nickel Creek fame, the band performs selections from its 40-minute four-movement suite.

Punch Brothers in Studio on World Cafe 3/11/08

Listen
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/88098895/88099270" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Review

All Songs Considered

The Raveonettes, Toumani Diabate, Punch Brothers, More

On this edition of All Songs Considered: the heavy pop sounds of Danish duo The Raveonettes; a solo kora recording by Toumani Diabate and more.

The Raveonettes, Toumani Diabate, Punch Brothers, More

Listen
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/87760956/87760955" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Browse archive or search npr.org