Since their first EP released in 2004, The Poison Arrows have evolved from the solo project of ex-Atombombpocketknife vocalist/guitarist Justin Sinkovich into a 3 piece band, and have been building momentum with another EP released in 2007. A a full length record has been written and recorded, but no solid release date has been set as of yet.

Early recordings of the band were done by Sinkovich and made available to listeners via the Trailer Park EP, and featured a remix by none other than OG electro-punk hero Martin Rev. He played in this little band called Suicide... you may have heard of them. The EP was a glitchy, electronic based record that undoubtedly saw Sinkovich spending countless hours hunched over a computer, crafting soundscapes quite different than the post-punk/rock undertaking that was Atombombpocketknife. In any case, in 2007 another record was released, the Premix-Remix CD, featuring remixes of Sinkovich's work by other musicians/engineers/bands such as Jonah Sharp, TRS-80, Brother El, Brian Deck, Jonathan Kreinik, Slo-Ro, Mike Lust, DJ? Acucrack, Sterling, and N.LN.

2007 also saw the release of the first EP recorded as a band, Straight Into the Drift. The band included drummer Adam Reach, collaborator with Sinkovich's old bandmate Che Arthur, and bassist Patrick Morris, noted for his stint with Pittsburgh, Pennslyvannia's best instrumental rock band ever: the mighty Don Caballero. The formation of the full band obviously marked a change in direction and sound, and undoubtedly for the better if you ask me. I like a good electronic record just like the next dude, but there is something to be said about the dynamic of a live band and the collaborative recording process that really resonates with me, which is exactly what The Poison Arrows have managed to do over the past year.

Through a string of steady live Chicago shows and my long overdue need to own the new EP, I've come to regard The Poison Arrows as one of my favorite Chicago acts. You can check them out on May 22nd at The Hideout with none other than Louisville's Shipping News. Hell yes, I said the Shipping News are going to be in Chicago next month, alongside the Poison Arrows. Be there. In the meantime, check out this video I got at the Empty Bottle of "Lockaway", from The Poison Arrows latest EP: