LURK
photo by Vince Gudauskas

LURK's Kevin Kiley made us a playlist of music inspiring their upcoming LP

Chicago punks LURK have a new album on the way (which “will be coming when the timing is better” on Pure Noise), but meanwhile they’ve prefaced it with the Pressure Points EP, featuring the new songs “Pressure Points” and “2043,” an acoustic version of older song “Trample,” and Smashing Pumpkins and My Bloody Valentine covers (stream it below).

Meanwhile, we caught up with the band to ask them about the music that’s been inspiring them as they gear up for the album, and here’s what they had to say:

Up until the world imploded, Lurk spent most of the past year writing and preparing for our first LP. While doing that, the five of us talk about what kind of influences and sounds we want to incorporate. We end up sharing and talking about so much different music over our group texts or in the van. Our friend Andy (who’s recorded all of our material thus far) also shows me so much cool stuff that’s undeniably influenced our sound over time. Discovering hidden gem records or underrated songs has become like an addictive game for us. I had no clue Fountains Of Wayne had such bangers or how much a band like Grauzone would end up surfacing in what we do. This playlist is some of those songs, some classics and just some recent great tracks we’ve been digging. If there’s anything in the world that never gets sour, it’s exploring music new and old. Hope you enjoy.

In addition to Fountains of Wayne and Grauzone, the playlist includes Iggy Pop, Phoebe Bridgers, Wire, Fugazi, Teenage Fanclub, Pavement, Thin Lizzy, Naked Raygun, Superdrag, Devo, The Jesus Lizard, The Rolling Stones, Royal Headache, and more. It’s got a pretty diverse mix and it’s filled with great songs. Check it out:

Must-Hear Punk Albums of 2020 So Far