Bio

Wormburner

Wormburner are narrative indie rock luminaries from Brooklyn via Hoboken. KEXP in Seattle calls Wormburner “anthemic indie rock with a punk rock kick”. Time Out New York cites “echoes of Springsteen, The Clash and The Pogues that ring out in succinct vignettes…twanging and swelling over vocalist Hank Henry’s forthright, reedy delivery”. According to The New Yorker, Hank “can sound like a cross between Michael Stipe and the Mountain Goats’ John Darnielle”. The Deli calls Wormburner “lyrically charged rock with intriguing western movie tinges that will please fans of The Boss and The National.” In New York City, Wormburner regularly headlines beloved rock clubs like The Bowery Ballroom and The Mercury Lounge. Tour dates have landed Wormburner as far from home as the West Coast, where KEXP in Seattle has twice honored Wormburner with Song of the Day accolades and has even hosted the band for a live-in-the-studio performance. Wormburner has shared stages with Violent Femmes, Old 97s, The Walkmen, The Hold Steady, The War on Drugs, Dean & Britta, Deer Tick, School of Seven Bells, the late, great Tommy Keene, Bill Janovitz of Buffalo Tom, Cracker, and Camper van Beethoven (David Lowery produced Wormburner’s debut album). Legendary VJ Matt Pinfield hosted Wormburner vocalist Hank Henry for an in-depth interview on MTV’s 120 Minutes.

Wormburner’s third LP is titled “Pleasant Living in Planned Communities”. Included on Robert Christgau’s “Dean’s List” ranking the best releases of 2014, this album’s cast of desperate characters includes a downed airman in WWII Europe, a 21st Century soldier returning home from battle, and a transient gay hustler whose youthful looks are weathering with age.  Recorded in too many places to name here, “Pleasant Living in Planned Communities” bristles with a heightened urgency not captured on previous Wormburner recordings.  Yet somehow this whole album goes down smoother, the executions tighter, and the performances elevated courtesy of guest appearances by ace guitarists Sean Eden (Luna) and Paul Carbonara (Blondie).

A fourth LP is nearing completion, with mixes by Phil Palazzolo (Okkervil River, New Pornographers, Neko Case, Ted Leo + Pharmacists).