Show Me the Body (commonly abbreviated as SMTB) is an American post-hardcore[1] band from New York City, formed in 2009. They have released three full-length albums, each drawing influence from genres such as hip hop, noise music[2] and sludge metal.[3] The band currently consists of lead vocalist and banjoist Julian Cashwan Pratt, bassist Harlan Steed, and drummer Jack McDermott.
History
2009–2013: Early years
Julian Pratt first conceived of an early version of Show Me the Body after meeting Harlan Steed in ninth grade at Elisabeth Irwin High School.[4] Julian became increasingly engrossed in the New York hardcore music scene when he volunteered at the Lower Eastside's ABC No Rio social space, a venue that hosts daytime punk shows on Saturdays.[5] They bonded over playing music with Pratt's cousin, their former drummer and eventual in-house producer, Gabriel Millman.[6] They officially became Show Me the Body around a year after meeting.[7] As a way to get up close and personal with fans, instead of clubs, their first shows were played under bridge overpasses, alleys, and in basements.[6]
2014–2015: Debut EPs
In 2014, formed the musical collective Letter Racer with their classmates in the group Ratking and toured with them that summer.[8] That July saw the release of their debut EP, Yellow Kidney, independently released on SoundCloud. Their release caught the attention of record label Loma Vista which facilitated the subsequent release of their self-titled EP S M T B in April 2015. By then the band had added Noah Cohen-Corbett as drummer.[7]
2016–2017: Body War and the CORPUS collective
Their debut album, Body War, was released in July 2016. The album touches on themes such as anti-capitalism, gentrification and police brutality through a wide range of experimental sounds.[5] Their collective, CORPUS, released their compilation mixtape Corpus I in March 2017.[9]
2018–2019: Dog Whistle
While on tour in Poland, the band visited the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum. This trip served as the influence for their third record, Dog Whistle, released on March 29, 2019.[10] The album was written in Long Island City, and recorded in Los Angeles California the previous summer.[11]
2020–present: Survive and Trouble the Water
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Show Me the Body "had to reconfigure" how they "interact with" their fans.[12] Their reliance on live performances made this difficult, but they opted to establish a new studio space for their CORPUS collective and recorded an EP, titled Survive, which was released in March 2021.[12] The short EP deals with themes of isolation. During this time, the band brought on current drummer Jackie "Jackieboy" McDermott.[13]
Artistry
Although primarily punk rock oriented, Show Me the Body combines the sounds and techniques of alternative hip hop, sludge metal, and noise music in order to craft an abrasive style.[11] Their conventional instruments, such as Pratt's banjo and Steed's bass, are accompanied by an array of effects units and computer programming that form the characteristic distortion that features in much of their music.[6] Pratt's eclectic vocal style paired with Cohen-Corbett's, and later McDermott's, aggressive drumming help complete and add weight to the band's grunge-influenced compositions.[6]
