The Penske File is a Canadian Punk Rock Band comprised of three childhood friends who may be better described as brothers than anything else. Travis Miles (guitar, vocals), Alexander Standen (drums, vocals) and James Hall (bass, vocals) began making music together 20 years ago, when they were only 12 and 13 years old. The Penske File began in earnest a handful of years later at a memorial show following the tragic passing of their best friend and former second guitarist, Chris Skinner, “whose spirit and memory remains the driveshaft of inspiration of the band to this day,” according to Miles. Since their inception in 2010, they have been turning out an ever evolving blend of heartfelt and anthemic Punk, Alt- Rock, Indie and Folk infused sounds. This evolution is starkly apparent on their latest effort, aptly titled “Reprieve,” which features 12 brand new songs, expanding on the sonic and thematic realms the band has touched upon in their lifespan and bringing them to new heights. “The writing and recording of Reprieve was unique to our previous records in many ways,” says Miles, “for one, there was over a five year gap since we wrote the songs for our last record ‘Half Glow.’ We were really chomping at the bit to get back at it and there were so many songs and ideas waiting in the wings to be explored. With so much raw material to work with, and even more excitement to be doing so, we made a conscious effort to branch out; to arrange songs that are reminiscent of what turned us on to punk rock in the first place, but also to craft others that are so far removed from that sonic landscape. We opened the doors to whatever came creatively and Reprieve is what walked in.” Their live shows are celebrations: celebrations of everything loud, spontaneous and beautiful about life. No strangers to the road, The Penske File spent the better part of their 20s on tour, and have continued that tradition into their early 30s, playing festival stages and D.I.Y spaces alike from Vancouver to Hamburg to Gainesville and everywhere in between. They have been hand selected to perform with many of punk rock’s greatest acts, and have shared bills with the likes of Bad Religion, The Menzingers, Streetlight Manifesto and The Hold Steady, to name a few. While they may be getting older, they are committed to dragging the spirit of youth along with them and that is apparent in their raucous, communal live shows as well as on their blistering, honest, reminiscent and introspective, new record.
For Fans of:
Against Me!, The Dirty Nil, The Gaslight Anthem, The Flatliners, Menzingers
From the press gallery….
“Burlington, ON crew the Penske File specialize in poppy, punk-leaning rock — a perfect sound for the coming summer weather.” -
EXCLAIM
“Burlington's The Penske File have a knack for churning out upbeat, melodic pop-punk but as the harmonica-led anthems indicate, they do so with a fresh twist. One that isn't too folky but one that delivers a certain charm which would be easily recognizable for fans who watched the band strengthen their sound over the past couple years.” –
Punknews
"The Penske File are a fantastic, never before seen or heard mixture of melodic folk punk, pop punk and punk rock. Let's call it "brother-punk" because whether you know them or not, they feel like your friends when they're up on stage."-
Scene Magazine
"A genre-fused offering that blends the spirit of punk with deep rooted melodies and lyrics that echo Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen, The Penske File have created a sound that is all their own." –
Audioblood
"It's evident just by listening to the upbeat hooks, that these three guys from Burlington, Ontario, really love what they're doing.." –
Kingston Music
