Philly Plain Dealer

Early exposure to canonic classic rock, blues, and parallel genres can be a pivotal factor in one’s passion to play music, especially live. Playing live can be drastically different than recording in a studio, let alone jamming together in garages as teenagers, and for Pachyderm, that’s all the more fun.

Formed twelve years ago in Pittsburgh, the (now) Philly-based group has gone through many phases of influence and creative direction. As high school musicians, inspiration was drawn from artists like The White Stripes and The Black Keys, allowing the artists to craft a powerful blues sound, heard clearly on the track “Ice Cold” off their EP from 2015. As they navigated through late adolescence as individuals, their tastes changed into an array of eccentric styles, specifically becoming enthralled by jam bands like The Grateful Dead and Phish. By the time 2016 rolled around, an LP was released by the band and their style had transformed into a beautiful harmony of ethereal guitar riffs, psychedelic synthesized interludes, and meandering notes.

All members of the band agree that bonding through sharing music with each other is what enables them to produce songs that encapsulate multiple genres. Ethan, Pachyderm’s guitarist, mentions enjoying “rare groove” as of late. “Rare groove isn’t really a genre that exists, but it’s music that we refer to as ‘crate-digging music.’ Stuff that you can find in a record store for three bucks that Q-Tip is gonna go on to sample. Things like African soul, 70s funk, and a lot of sparse instrumental stuff.” 

Max, the group’s bassist, mentions timeless country artists as being a recent core influence. Listening to Doc Watson and even seeing a ten-year-old perform the banjo at the Rail Park’s Bluegrass Jam has been stimulating for his own stylistic flow. You can find Max practicing the art of whistling vocals on a few tracks too. Meanwhile, Remy finds a crucial key to percussion to be his love for jazz, stemming from his involvement in a high school jazz band. This sound truly came to life on their latest album Wild Honey, where ballads and NOLA-style piano guide listeners through yet another realm of historical cultural influence.

So, where does the name Pachyderm come from? Max stated that when he was a kid, he simply thought it was a cool word. “Hearing the word Pachyderm doesn’t make you think of a specific kind of music. The music defines the name, not vice versa. The original band names we thought of were so bad, that when we got Pachyderm, we thought ‘this is good enough.’ We take jamming very seriously. We are a jam band, but we have a metal song. We have two disco songs. We don’t try to sound like a jam band.”

What’s next for Pachyderm? Well, they are currently writing and recording their next album, Pocono, which is in the works and will be released within the next year. They also have a show coming up this Sunday, December 15th at Century Bar. Admission is $10, 21+, and the music starts at 7pm. Rest assured, your $10 will be good to your ears and good for your soul. In the meantime, you can listen to all of the group’s albums and singles on Bandcamp and follow them @pachydermband on Instagram. Who’s to say where Pachyderm will take us with the new album? Nothing can be predicted. However, there will always be something exhilarating for everyone.