The Coachmen
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1978 |
| Defunct | 1980 (initially) |
| Headquarters | New York City , United States |
| Products | Music albums, live performances |
The Coachmen were a punk and no wave band based in lower Manhattan, active from early 1978 until August 1980. The group consisted of guitarists Thurston Moore and J. D. King, bassist Bob Pullin, and drummer Danny Walworth, who was later succeeded by Dave Keay. For a short period, Mary Lemley took on vocal duties. This ensemble marked Moore's initial foray into performing within New York City's vibrant artistic club circuit.
Their performances took place at notable venues such as CBGB, Max's Kansas City, Tier 3, A's (a space curated by Arleen Schloss), The Botany Talk House, The 80's, S.N.A.F.U., as well as private loft gatherings organized by Jenny Holzer. On the WTF with Marc Maron podcast, Moore recalled that David Byrne of Talking Heads was among the audience at their very first show.
One of their penultimate concerts occurred in the loft of Giorgio Gomelsky in New York City, an event where Moore encountered Kim Gordon. The Coachmen shared stages with acts including The Green Scene, Paul McMahon's A Band, Phoebe Legere's Monad, Harry Toledo, and the Fluks—a group featuring guitarist Lee Ranaldo, who would later join Moore in forming Sonic Youth.
A demo recording from this period was eventually issued in 1988 by New Alliance under the title Failure to Thrive.
Following the dissolution of The Coachmen, Moore went on to establish Sonic Youth alongside bassist and then-partner Kim Gordon.
J. D. King transitioned into a successful career in illustration before reviving The Coachmen name in 1997 with a new lineup. Under Moore’s label Ecstatic Peace!, they released two albums: Ten Compositions: New Frontiers in Free Rock (2000) and American Mercury (2006). The latter album earned favorable critiques from outlets such as Next Big Thing, Blog to Comm, and Wire No. 276 (February 2007), and also received airplay on alternative stations including WFMU.
To differentiate from other bands sharing the name, the group now performs as J. D. King & The Coachmen—a title chosen by King as a tongue-in-cheek homage to conventional 1960s garage rock ensembles.
Drummer Dave Keay is also involved with the avant-garde rock band The Day Care Centre, which released a double LP titled A Jumpin' Jackpot of Melody in 2007.