With the Rosendale Street Festival coming up this weekend, it seems a perfect time to say howdee to Peter Head, frontman of perennial street fest favorite Pitchfork Militia.
If you haven’t seen them yet, Pitchfork puts on a show that kicks like a mule. Based mainly in Palenville, the band first got together in 1995. They put out six cassette tapes in their first four years, then, when CD production became more reasonable, they started cranking those out as well, fifteen to date.
Big Beef Bonanza (1998) is a great place to start, featuring songs discussed in this interview, but the others are great too and are worth tracking down.
I spoke with Peter last week about music, the street fest, and trucking in America.
You call Pitchfork Militia’s style “Apocabilly,” a blend of rock, blues, country and punk. What’s the inspiration behind this unique genre blend?
We were just poking fun at all the sub-genres of rockabilly, the two that come most readily to mind are psychobilly and dieselbilly. So, apocabilly is for rocking the apocalypse! Pitchfork has been labeled all sorts of things over the years, but if you boil it down, we are a rock band. We rock.
I read that the Blasters (who blended country with rockabilly etc.) were actually surprised to find themselves included in the SoCal punk scene back in the late 70s early 80s.… you guys started a little later in the mid 90s, is it safe to say punk was already in your DNA at the inception?
Only Karl, the original bass player was really into punk rock, Joe was familiar but seemed to like a little more technique, and I was only into the energy and anti-social message of it, not so much the music, but our songs are fast and short and tight, and for many years never repeated a thing – no choruses, et cetera – straight to the point, move on. That seems to be quite the punk attitude. We are a rock band with a punk attitude.
I cannot drive on the NYS Thruway without singing your song “Trucker” (i.e. “I’m a trucker, mother f*cker, without trucks America stops”). It seems like there’s always an 18 wheeler driving badly or aggressively. I know this song is half-satirical, but I really want to talk about this. Growing up, my friend’s dad was a trucker. He taught us the rules of the road and about trucking, he had a code—he was like a knight in my imagination! In your opinion, how has this changed?
The first batch of songs were directly influenced by the many many road trips I was taking back then. I drove around the country in circles for 12 years, and would pen little ditties about how when driving through Pennsylvania it always rained, or how stupid the drivers in Virginia are. “Without Trucks America Stops” is a sticker that used to be on the back of trucks. Some of my songs griped about truckers, some praised them, but keep in mind, I am very rarely serious in that kind of song. I think these days, all good highways need a third lane. Trucks have been reduced to running on governors that dictate their speed, I can’t imagine it’s that fun to be a trucker anymore, there’s just too many dang rules.
Can you please pick another one or two signature Pitchfork songs… How do they help define Pitchfork Militia, and what was the writing process?
The most signature song we have is “River Song”, about a farmer who cuts his hand off far from help and lays down to hallucinate and die. Another is “Meat and Pertaters”, a love song to the gal who cleans and cooks the fish I done caught. Often, the writing process is that I just wait for something, and then it spills out. I feel like a channeler, more than a song writer, I just listen and then write things down. Sometimes the whole thing spills out start to finish, no editing needed. Sometimes it’s something someone else said… oops, I wrote it down, it’s mine! Since I got tick-sick in 2019, that automatic thing doesn’t happen as much.
You’re about to play the Rosendale Street Fest (Sat. July 20, 6pm). You’re kind of a staple there, how many times have you played it, and what do you like most about it?
I don’t recall how many times we’ve done the Rosendale Fest, at least 10, probably more. I like seeing all the people getting along and getting it done, it’s an incredible feat of volunteer cooperation. There are folks we only see at the fest each year, it’s a fantastic event!
This will be the first Rosendale Street Fest without Uncle Willy, who founded it. Did you know him well? Can you share an Uncle Willy anecdote?
(Laughs) Yeah, we knew Willy, but I have no stories that would be printable! He loved us and was always there to introduce us. We’ll all miss him.
You guys put on a super high octane performance, really riveting. Where else can people come see Pitchfork if they miss the Street Fest?
There is rumor of something at Keegan’s at the end of July, but not confirmed, we have Thee Lair in Kerhonkson on August 2nd. I guess we are winding down the gigs. The High Falls Cafe has always been supportive, we will most likely be there this fall. My attitude is to get a few shows so we stay rehearsed and then write and record new stuff. Always.
You describe yourself as a redneck artist/poet/musician. You don’t always hear the word “redneck” combined with “artist/poet/musician.” Can you give us a little personal history?
I’m just kiddin’ — I have a pickup truck and a shotgun, but I don’t kill animals or beat my children (don’t even have any!) I’ve lived in the Hudson Valley for about 5,000 years. Momma was a farm girl, daddy was an oil man.
One of your art forms is making wicked cool homemade instruments. Do you play these with the band? Please describe a few favorites. How do you make them? it looks like you have to meld luthier skills with welding.
I never played them in Pitchfork, my telecaster is all I’ve ever needed there, but I had the Peter Head Homemade Instrument Ensemble for a couple years. Everything in that band was made by me, even the drum set. I make two, three and four string guitars out of lunch boxes and cookie tins. The first few were so precious that in order to have them not be, I set out to make 100 of them. I wish I’d never sold a single one too. People tend to buy up the good ones. I also make kalimbas / M’biras / thumb pianos, same thing; I had to make about 180 of them. My favorite are hand cranked noise makers. Fun to make and loud. I think my website is still up, but hasn’t had anything added to it in about a dozen years… whoops.
Please talk a little about your bandmates, musically and otherwise.
Karl Krause was the original bass player who decided enough was enough after 25 years. Since 2020, it’s been Matt Goldpaugh of the Arkhams/Arktones. Matt plays a fretless bass. Joe Morgan has been the drummer since 1996 (our original drummer was Adam Hyer who went off to college after about six months in the band.) Joe works at Ulster Publishing. It’s been said that Joe can go from a dry country waltz to a blurring hailstorm of sound in a New York second!
Can you give us some insider info about Palenville? I feel like there might be a secret rock-n-roll history that’s been evolving there.
First thing — for the city folk — there are no swimming holes in Palenville, lol. Palenville is America’s first art colony, and there are a lot of artists, writers and musicians living here. It’s the gateway to the Eastern Catskills. Except for the tick-threat, a nice place to inhabit.
Where’s the best place for people to find your music?
We are slowly giving it all away on YouTube. Other than that, you’d have to come to a show or contact me.
Visit peterheadhimself.com for all things Pitchfork Militia.
The Rosendale Street Festival will be taking place this weekend, July 20 and 21. Seven stages feature 100 bands, plus there’s food, local arts and crafts, and more. The festival is donation-based and music starts at noon on both days.
The festival is kid-friendly and this year will include a New Orleans style “2nd Line” at the end.
If you’re going, Main Street closes to traffic at 10:30am, so see website for parking info and a complete list of bands and times. Visit rosendalestreetfestival.org for more.
Join the family! 
