Today, modern roots-rock band Rose’s Pawn Shop releases their long-awaited new album, Punch-Drunk Life (KZZ Music). Recorded at Electro Sound Recordings in Los Angeles, the album features 12 songs packed with an Americana punch, telling stories of hard-fought battles and redemption. A music video for the kick-off song on Punch-Drunk Life, “Old Time Pugilist,” is also available today. Stream the album at your preferred DSP HERE.
“‘Old Time Pugilist’ is a song about not giving up on yourself — a boxing metaphor and a high-energy Americana, folk rock, alt-country anthem of inspiration for the little Rocky Balboa that lives within all our hearts” says lead singer Paul Givant. The music video for “Old Time Pugilist” features an older gentleman reliving his glory days of boxing. The pugilist – an archaic word for a boxer – finds himself in the ring with an imagined opponent while Givant sings, “Don’t count me out yet” and “Still to come is my finest round.” Watch the “Old Time Pugilist” video HERE.
Punch-Drunk Life finds core members deepening the breadth of their lyrics and musicianship. Givant is joined in the current incarnation of the band by guitarist and producer Zachary Ross, upright bassist Stephen Andrews, drummer Matt Lesser, and multi-instrumentalists Tim Weed and John Kraus. The album is the band’s first in eight years, offering a dozen songs exemplifying the group’s unique fusion of bluegrass instrumentation and folk-rock amplification. Givant’s eloquent songwriting elevates the group’s textured sound, reflecting the evolution of both his internal and external worlds.
If there’s one theme to Rose’s Pawn Shop and Punch-Drunk Life it is resilience, which is built into the band’s DNA. It has influenced their name, a nod to Givant's ex-girlfriend, Rose, who infamously reacted to the pair's breakup by stealing the band's equipment and pawning it across Los Angeles. It has also fueled their steadfastness to move forward through adversity, whether it was the pandemic, a shifting lineup, home priorities, or anything else that has arisen since Gravity Well, their acclaimed 2014 album. Throughout it all, Rose’s Pawn Shop continued touring, earning fans in every mountain town throughout Alaska, California, the Pacific Northwest, and the Southwest.
Rose’s Pawn Shop will be playing SXSW 2023 and is setting out on tour to promote Punch-Drunk Life. Tour dates are below; additional information to come.
ROSE'S PAWN SHOP 2023 TOUR DATES
2/24 – Hollywood, CA – Record release show at Hotel Café
2/25 – Ojai, CA – Ojai Deer Lodge
3/11 – Long Beach, CA – DiPiazza’s
3/16 – Fredericksburg, TX – SXSW: Crossroads Saloon
3/17 – Austin, TX – SXSW: KZZ Day Party at Saxon Pub
3/18 – Austin, TX – SXSW: San Jac Saloon
3/18 – Austin, TX – SXSW: Official Showcase at Saxon Pub
3/30 – Reno, NV – Peppermill Reno
3/31 – Reno, NV – Peppermill Reno
4/1 – Reno, NV – Peppermill Reno
4/2 – Salt Lake City, UT – Garage on Beck
4/5 – Kansas City, MO – Knuckleheads
4/7 – Madrid, NM – Mine Shaft Tavern
4/8 – Phoenix, AZ – Last Exit Live
