The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
| Company type | Indie pop band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 2007 |
| Founder | Kip Berman, Peggy Wang, Alex Naidus, Kurt Feldman |
| Defunct | 2019 (initial dissolution) |
| Fate | Reunion planned for 2024 |
| Headquarters | New York City , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Kip Berman (vocals, guitar), Peggy Wang (keyboards, vocals), Alex Naidus (bass), Christoph Hochheim (guitar), Brian Alvarez (drums) |
| Products | Music albums, EPs, singles |
Number of employees | 5 (band members as of reunion) |
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart is an American indie pop ensemble originating from New York City. Established in 2007 by Kip Berman (vocals, guitar), Peggy Wang (keyboards, vocals), Alex Naidus (bass), and Kurt Feldman (drums), the current roster features Berman, Wang, Naidus, long-serving touring guitarist Christoph Hochheim, and drummer Brian Alvarez.
After various personnel shifts beginning in 2012 with Berman remaining the only founding member, the group dissolved in 2019. They revealed plans for a reunion in August 2024.[1]
Origins and initial phase (2007–2012)
Kip Berman, the lead vocalist and main songwriter, was raised in Philadelphia before relocating to Portland, Oregon, where he participated in multiple bands. Upon completing his studies at Reed College, he moved to New York City and met Alex Naidus through mutual musical tastes including Smashing Pumpkins, The Field Mice, and Nirvana. Together with their friend Peggy Wang, they began performing live shows initially relying on drum backing tracks. Early gigs included appearances alongside The Manhattan Love Suicides and Titus Andronicus.
In late 2007, they created a MySpace profile under a band name inspired by an unpublished narrative from one of Berman’s friends, reflecting themes of camaraderie and enjoyment. Tracks such as "Contender," "Come Saturday," and "This Love Is Fucking Right!" gained popularity among fans on their self-titled debut album released in 2009. Coverage by media outlets like Pitchfork and Stereogum contributed to their rising prominence; notably, Stereogum designated them a "Band to Watch" in 2007.
Before recording their first full-length album, drummer Kurt Feldman — Berman’s roommate — joined the lineup. Their initial EP was independently issued through Painbow, a label they founded. The debut album was released on February 3, 2009 via Slumberland Records and reached number nine on the Billboard Heatseekers chart. In the same year, they released the Higher Than the Stars EP.
Their sophomore effort, Belong (2011), produced by Flood and mixed by Alan Moulder, represented their commercial zenith. It attained number 92 on the Billboard 200 and appeared on charts in Belgium, France, the UK, and Spain. Similar to their debut, it received critical praise including a "Best New Music" accolade from Pitchfork.
Subsequent period and dissolution (2013–2019)
Post-Belong, considerable changes in personnel left Berman as the only original member remaining. In 2012, guitarist Christoph Hochheim exited following the album’s touring cycle. Keyboardist and vocalist Peggy Wang departed in 2013 to pursue her career at BuzzFeed along with authoring a cookbook. Bassist Alex Naidus also left that year after completing his recordings to join BuzzFeed. Feldman transitioned towards roles in production and engineering.
The band inked a deal with New York-based Yebo Music for their third studio album, Days of Abandon, which was released in May 2014. Contributions included Kelly Pratt on horns and backing vocals from Jen Goma of A Sunny Day in Glasgow. Live lineups featured bassist Jacob Sloan, keyboardist Jessica Weiss, guest vocalist Goma, alongside Hochheim’s return on guitar accompanied by his brother Anton on drums.
Their fourth record, The Echo of Pleasure, was independently released on September 1, 2017.
In November 2018, they completed a full cover rendition of Tom Petty’s 1989 album Full Moon Fever for subscription-based label Turntable Kitchen. On November 4, 2019, Berman declared the band’s disbandment citing creative divergence after The Echo of Pleasure, relocation to New Jersey, and responsibilities of fatherhood as reasons. Their final performance prior to disbanding took place on April 26, 2018 during a birthday celebration for Stereogum founder Scott Lapatine.
Since then, Berman has continued his musical endeavors under the moniker the Natvral.
Reunion and Activities (2024–present)
On August 16, 2024, the group revealed their comeback plans to mark the 15th anniversary of their first album, scheduling a tour across Spain and Portugal for February 2025. This lineup featured most original members, with the exception of Naidus, who was substituted by Eddy Marshall from Natvral. Subsequently, the tour was extended to include dates in North America and the United Kingdom, during which Naidus rejoined while Feldman was replaced by Brian Alvarez.
In February 2025, Slumberland Records issued Perfect Right Now: A Slumberland Collection 2008-2010, a compilation showcasing previously unreleased tracks from their initial recording period. On February 17, 2025, the band performed their first concert in seven years—and their first with Wang and Feldman since 2012—holding a surprise show in New York.
Current
- Kip Berman – vocals, guitar (2007–2019, 2024–present)
- Peggy Wang – keyboards, vocals (2007–2013, 2024–present)
- Alex Naidus – bass (2007–2013, 2025–present)
- Christoph Hochheim – guitar (2009–2019, 2024–present)
- Brian Alvarez – drums (touring) (2025–present)
Former
- Kurt Feldman – drums (2007–2013, 2024–2025)
- Eddy Marshall – bass
- Anton Hochheim – drums
- Brian Alvarez – drums
- Chris Schackerman – drums
- Connor Hanwick – guitar
- Jacob Sloan – bass, vocals
- Jess Krichelle Rojas – vocals, keyboard
- Elspeth Vance – vocals
- Jen Goma – vocals, keyboard
- Jess Weiss (Fear of Men) – vocals, keyboard
- Drew Citron (Beverly) – keyboard
Albums
| Year | Album details | Peak chart positions | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US (Billboard 200) |
US Heat (Top Heatseekers) |
US Indie (Independent Albums) |
BEL (Ultratop) |
FRA (SNEP) |
SPA (Productores de Música de España) |
UK (UK Albums Chart) | ||
| 2009 | The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
|
— | 9 | 37 | — | — | — | — |
| 2011 | Belong
|
92 | 41 | 18 | 69 | 167 | 80 | 109 |
| 2014 | Days of Abandon
|
168 | — | 32 | — | — | — | — |
| 2017 | The Echo of Pleasure
|
— | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2018 | Full Moon Fever
|
— | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2025 | Perfect Right Now: A Slumberland Collection 2008-2010
|
— | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Cover Albums
- Full Moon Fever (Turntable Kitchen, 2018) A complete reinterpretation of Tom Petty's record, issued to commemorate the first anniversary of his passing.
EPs
- The Pains of Being Pure at Heart EP (Painbow, 2007)
- Higher Than the Stars (Slumberland, 2009)
- Acid Reflex (Play It Again Sam, 2012, Purple Vinyl)
- Abandonment Issue (Yebo Music, 2014)
- Hell (Painbow Records, 2015)
Singles
- The Pains of Being Pure at Heart/The Parallelograms, split 7-inch (Atomic Beat, 2008)
- Searching for the Now Volume 4, split 7-inch alongside Summer Cats (Slumberland, 2008)
- "Everything with You / The Pains of Being Pure at Heart" (Slumberland, 2008, Blue vinyl)
- "Young Adult Friction / Ramona" (Slumberland, 2009, Maroon/white swirl vinyl)
- "Come Saturday / Side Ponytail" (Slumberland, 2009, Mint green clear vinyl)
- "Say No to Love / Lost Saint" (Slumberland U.S. and Fortuna Pop UK, 2010, Seafoam green vinyl)
- "Heart in Your Heartbreak / The One" (Slumberland, 2010, Plumb clear vinyl)
- "Belong / I Wanna Go All The Way" (Slumberland, 2011, Pink vinyl)
- "The Body / Tomorrow Dies Today" (Play It Again Sam / Slumberland, 2011, Yellow/orange clear vinyl)
- "Jeremy (Magnetic Fields Cover) / My Life Is Wrong (East River Pipe Cover)" (Slumberland, 2012, Army green vinyl)
- "Simple and Sure / Impossible" (Slumberland, 2014, Olive Green vinyl)
- "Sometimes Always (The Jesus and Mary Chain cover)" featuring Hatchie (Heavenly/Double Double Whammy, 2020, Purple vinyl)
Compilation Albums
- Acid Reflex (Yoshimoto R and C, 2012, Japan CD) This release merges the Acid Reflex EP with remixes from Higher Than The Stars, including one exclusive remix.
- Perfect Right Now: A Slumberland Collection 2008-2010
Bibliography
- Wong, Martin (2009). "Growing Pains". Giant Robot Magazine, issue 61.
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedreform