It was not an easy decision for The Pains of Being Pure at Heart to make: The Brooklyn-based shoegaze band announced their break-up in an Instagram post on November 5. In the over-two-hundred-word letter, founder Kip Berman detailed his emotion and a plan of new music project The Natvral.

“Pains was a distinct moment in my life,” from Berman’s points of view.  He said, “I started the group when I first moved to New York and completed our last record, The Echo of Pleasure, shortly before my daughter was born and I moved to Princeton, NJ. From that time forward, I never really felt the same—and the music I was creating didn’t feel the same either.”

“But this is good, both for my heart and my music,” he continued. He explained the break-up is not totally woeful, because “the strange something that inspired what we were able to create is absent. What has taken its place feels very different, and I have to express it in a different way.”

Berman also expressed his wish to share his new music next year. “I’ve spent this past year making a new record, and hope to share it sometime next year,” he added, “In the meantime, you can hear a cover I did of one of my heroes, Dear Nora, in the bio.”

 

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Kip here. My life has changed radically from the time I started Pains with Peggy, Alex and (soon after) Kurt in 2007, and I’ve decided to focus on a new project @the_natvral. Pains was a distinct moment in my life. I started the group when I first moved to New York and completed our last record, “The Echo of Pleasure,” shortly before my daughter was born and I moved to Princeton, NJ. From that time forward, I never really felt the same – and the music I was creating didn’t feel the same either. But this is good, both for my heart and my music. I know some of you equate “PAINS” with a particular lineup of people, but I’ve always felt that whoever I collaborated with has been “the real band,” because what animated the music was so consistent. But now, that strange something that inspired what we were able to create is absent. What has taken its place feels very different, and I have to express it in a different way. I’ve spent this past year making a new record, and hope to share it sometime next year. In the meantime, you can hear a cover I did of one of my heroes, Dear Nora, in the bio. If you are curious as to what other PAINS people are now up to: Kip: @the_natvral Alex: @massagetheband Peggy: @store_front_nyc Kurt: @kurt_feldman The Ice Choir Tenser Timpani Christoph: @ablebody + live w/ @jerrypaper_reality Jacob: @the_natvral @jeanines Dream Diary (?!) Drew: @wearebeverly @publicpractice Anton: @beachfossilsnyc Connor: @dondadi Jen: Showtime Goma @jengoma Jess Weiss: @fearofmen Elspeth: @shopnoctiluca Jess Krichelle Rojas: @JessKrichelle Chris: @archofloveband Brian: @peeldreammagazine @lunaretteny @the_natvral Photo: Pavla Kopecna

THE PAINS OF BEING PURE AT 🖤 (@thepainsofbeingpureatheart) 分享的帖子 · PST 2019 年 11月 4 日 上午 7:51

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart was formed in 2007 by a group of New York-based musicians, including bassist Alex Naidus, guitarist/vocalist Kip Berman, drummer Kurt Feldman and keyboardist/lead singer Peggy Wang. The old-school indie pop and shoegaze acts released their first album, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, in February 2009. With the team of legendary producers Flood (Smashing Pumpkins) and Alan Moulder (My Bloody Valentine), their resulting album Belong in 2011 received positive reviews from the public. A Sunny Day in Glasgow’s Jen Goma and brass player Kelly Pratt later took over the duties after the departure of Wang and Naidus; the new line-up released Days of Abandon in 2014. Their last album The Echo of Pleasure, which was heavily inspired by ’80s new wave and pop, dated back to 2017.

Photo Credit: Raymond Flotat