The Pains of Being Pure At Heart

The Pains of Being Pure At Heart drew influences from jangly ’80s British indie pop and noisy shoegaze but always kept their heads and hearts firmly in the modern world. Cofounded in the mid-2000s by vocalist/guitarist Kip Berman, the New York City band expanded into a lineup that included keyboardist/vocalist Peggy Wang and future Ice Choir founder Kurt Feldman on drums. The Pains of Being Pure At Heart debuted with a 2007 EP and signed with the legendary indie label Slumberland Records for their 2009 self-titled full-length debut, an effervescent, hook-heavy album with lyrics about restless dreamers and complicated romances. Working with producer Flood and mixer Alan Moulder, the band embraced a fuller, more polished sound on 2011’s Belong, highlighted by the shoegaze-leaning title track and the unabashedly pop “Heart in Your Heartbreak”. Later work touched on lush ’80s alternative rock and fanciful ’90s indie pop and drew on more unexpected inspirations, such as 2018’s dreamy, full-album cover of Tom Petty’s solo LP Full Moon Fever. Despite this success, The Pains of Being Pure At Heart broke up the following year, ending on a high note with a 2020 cover of The Jesus and Mary Chain’s “Sometimes Always” with the Australian singer-songwriter Hatchie.