Track Premiere: Pimmit Hills ‘Lost River’

It’s time to get your boogie on as Washington DC’s Pimmit Hills, who formed from the ashes of King Giant, are gearing up to independently release their debut EP Heathens & Prophets on the 18th September in digital format. Although originally conceived to be a full album, due to the worldwide pandemic, the recording was cut short but with the wonders of modern technology, the band, along with sound engineering aficionado J. Robbins, were able to complete four tracks that make up this EP.

Pimmit Hills - Photo by Shane Gardner
Pimmit Hills – Photo by Shane Gardner

And today, it’s our honour to bring you the lead track Lost River, with a close to eight minute run time, it showcases the bands heavy blues rock swagger, and a special mention should be given to vocalists Dave Hammerly and his powerful set of pipes, reminiscent of a whiskey soaked Glen Danzig, who comments…

‘From down by the riverbed, the stories came. About that young boy, lost his way…

The band has changed, and the songs are a bit bluesy. The overall feeling, however, has the dark Americana ring that fans of the former band will find familiar. Tucked away in the minds and hearts of Pimmit Hills, are the stories passed down from one generation to the next. Subjects such as death, loss, murder, birth, and infidelity are never taboo. If that’s where the song leads, it was meant to be.

Imagine a little boy walking down the road from home, toward his favorite fishing spot. Feel a parent’s horror when he does not return and can’t be found. Eventually, all they have left of him is an empty grave. As the years go by and the story is told, it takes on a life of its own. It becomes a warning tale the old folks tell the children.

‘Never to be heard from, never to return. The grave sits empty. Muddy flowers, rusted urn.’

More On Pimmit Hills & ‘Heathens & Prophets’

Pimmit Hills, the Washington, DC-based quartet which spawned from the revered doom rock act King Giant, has completed their debut recording, now ready to see release as the Heathens & Prophets EP in September.

With four new songs bursting with the same Appalachian/rural mid-Atlantic rock and doom influences King Giant was inspired by, Pimmit Hills conjures even more of an organic sense of melody and vibrance, bringing the tracks to an even more emotive territory than the majority of the members’ former act.

Pimmit Hills 'Heathens Prophets'

Recorded and mixed by J. Robbins (Jawbox, Government Issue) at Magpie Cage Studio in Baltimore, Maryland, Heathens & Prophets was mastered by Dan Coutant at Sun Room Audio, and completed with photography by John Plashal and design by Jess Zadlo. Robbins also supplies keyboards to three of the EP’s four tracks.

In February of 2020, Pimmit Hills was in Baltimore with J. Robbins at the board and smack in the middle of recording what they thought would be their debut full-length album. But soon after, the ongoing global pandemic was declared, and the band was left with no choice but to halt work on the project and regroup.

‘We were really excited about those February sessions. In addition to being behind the console, J was lending his keyboard skills to three of the songs and it sounded amazing.’ said guitarist Todd Ingram. ‘I suggested adding some Fender Rhodes like keys on Lost River and J came up with a sound that not only captured that vibe but took it to the next level. He really understood what we were going for and did it so tastefully. But then the virus hit, and everyone’s focus shifted to staying home, taking care of family, and staying healthy.’

Pimmit Hills - Photo by Shane Gardner
Pimmit Hills – Photo by Shane Gardner

‘As the lockdowns changed from weeks to months the band decided to shift focus. With the full-length album stalled, we concentrated on the recordings that were most complete,’ said drummer Keith Books. ‘We discussed doing the mixing remotely which is something we wouldn’t normally do. But it allowed us to keep the momentum going and we figured it was a good way to help support J during such tough economic times.’

Ingram adds, ‘J would do a first pass mix, upload the file for us to review. We could provide feedback about this or that until we got the mix where we wanted it. I even added a harmony line on Baby Blue Eyes remotely. While most musicians I know are quite proficient with home studios, I was not. But I had an idea for a harmony line that I really wanted on that track. So, I put together a very basic home studio, tracked the parts, and emailed J the files. He dropped them in, mixed them, and just like that we were done with the mixing phase and ready for mastering.’

Pimmit Hills will also issue additional updates on future recordings and releases over the months ahead as they complete more songs in their growing arsenal of new music. ‘We still have a number of songs with the core instrumentation completed,’ says Ingram. ‘Those songs just need vocals and some solos. And since live performances aren’t happening, it makes sense to keep our focus on writing and recording. The writing during the lockdowns has apparently paid off as the band says they have enough material for a double LP.’

J. Robbins states, ‘Pimmit Hills is a cross between the Stooges and ‘70s ZZ Top.’

Heathens & Prophets Tracklist:
01. Baby Blue Eyes
02. Ginger
03. Lost River
04. Beautiful Sadness

Pimmit Hills are:
David Hammerly – Vocals
Keith Brooks – Drums
Todd Ingram – Guitar
Floyd Lee Walters III – Bass

Pimmit Hills and their debut EP Heathens & Prophets will be released on the 18th September digitally on all platforms, while pre-orders are available now from their Bandcamp page.

Label: Independent
Band Links: Official | Facebook | Bandcamp | Twitter | Instagram