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2007–2017 · Song / recording / production

Battlehooch

Archive folder: Battlehooch (founding member)

Battlehooch (band): AJ McKinley, Ryan Huber, Grant Goodrich, Thomas (Tom) Hurlbut, Ben Juodvalkis, Patrick Smith

Battlehooch is a San Francisco psychedelic pop and 'shapeshifting orchestral rock' band that Ben co-founded and played keyboards in. It released several LPs, EPs, and singles between 2007 and 2020 and toured the West Coast and Europe.

Premiere
2007
Where
San Francisco
Performances
Discography (Bandcamp/Discogs/press): OOF OWF (EP, 2007-09-01); Piecechow (debut LP, 2009); Battlehooch (LP, 2010, Chuur Records CRLP001); Hot Lungs (LP, 2013); Wink (EP, 2014-11-22, Chuur Records); Type One Error b/w Grace of Lace (single, 2015); Everyday (single, 2016-10-05); It's Me (single, 2018-02-02; part of a 5-song self-produced series recorded in 2016); Scion (single, 2020-02-07). Selected shows: The Independent, SF (2015-06-19); The Milk Bar, SF (2016-07-06); West Coast tour Oct–Nov 2016 (Portland, Redding, Ojai, Visalia, SF, San Jose, Reno, Sacramento, Santa Cruz), including a Prince-covers set at Brick and Mortar, SF (2016-10-29); a European tour (Netherlands, Belgium, Germany) mentioned on the band bio. 2020: remote 'Apocalypse Album' sessions. 2026: band meetings and a planned reunion show are being scheduled.
Credits
Members per the Wink EP credits: AJ McKinley, Ryan Huber, Grant Goodrich, Thomas Hurlbut, Ben Juodvalkis, Patrick Smith. Ben on keyboards (DoTheBay). Wink: mixed by Jay Pellicci (Tiny Telephone), mastered by Piper Payne. Battlehooch LP (2010): produced/engineered by Jason Kick, engineered by Shawn Biggs, mastered by Myles Boisen. Dale DeLay also appears on 2020 and 2026 band emails.

Press

“By cross-pollinating elements of psychedelia with modern pop, the six piece have given birth to a mutant strain of kaleidoscopic rock and roll.”

“They're bringing their kaleidoscopic chamber pop to the Independent this Friday, June 19th”

“Additionally, he has released five albums and toured extensively with his rock band Battlehooch.”

“Their sound is psychedelic but pop, combining typical guitar rock instrumentation with synthesizers and woodwinds.”

“Battlehooch bounces from hard rock to dance-pop to mind-warping head trips to flirtations with electronica and jazz and Afrobeat.”

Elsewhere