Pete Bush and the Hoi Polloi

Rock 'n roll is born from the harshest emotions. Jealousy and heartache are the phases that launched a thousand songs and for Pete Bush, his muse is no different. Broken hearts started Pete Bush on this journey and guided his chord progressions, but Idaho is not about self-pity or anger.
Written during a cross country tour in support of his previous LP "East is the Past" that kicked off the night he departed Seattle after a five year stay, Idaho is a love story, one flawed from the start but still perfect. These songs, this girl; they are here to remind Bush that love doesn't need a shelf life and isn't a sick torture. Ultimately, this won't last but the sacrifice is one they both need to make.
Sonically, Bush and the Hoi Polloi combine elements of jazz and rock in such seamless manner, you ask why more bands aren't trying the same thing. Idaho was recorded with help from J. Robbins (Jawbox, Burning Airlines, The Channels) at the Magpie Cage and while the artists may not share the same sonic palette, the both share an intensity that allowed Robbins to get every ounce of Bush's emotion into the record and match the passion of the live shows for which the band is known.
The recipe is simple; little more than minimal combinations of stand up bass, electric guitar, drums and solid harmonies but the stark presentation is what gives these songs impact and makes Pete Bush & the Hoi Polloi as likely to find a home with fans of Cab Calloway as Tom Waits or Andrew Bird. The Hoi Polloi has shared stages with Brandi Carlile, Horse Feathers and the Old Canes, and all told, Idaho should help one of Pittsburgh's best kept secrets become the band you turn to when days are the darkest.