Rising Stars: Meet P.U.F.

Today we’d like to introduce you to P.U.F.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started? 
We all met in high school through the marching band. Jake Shields, drums, and Jake Flores, bass, started jamming around 2019 at Shields’ house in Placentia, CA. Shields invited Alex Witmer to play keys and horns. Shortly after, Mike Lewis joined on synthesizer. Due to unforeseen circumstances, the band needed a new space. Witmer’s family offered their garage, where we went on to practice every Sunday through the pandemic. Kyle Reed, guitar, and Brian Kluver, saxophone, were the final additions to the band. After two years of practicing in the garage, PUF debuted their live show at Maniac’s Motorcycle Shop in Orange, CA. PUF has seen a few different iterations since its inception, oftentimes joined by horns, singers, and an additional keyboard player. They play varying degrees of funk and jazz, occasionally dipping into long-form jams. 

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Getting gigs as a funk/jazz band in Southern California has been a real challenge. The scene is dominated by punk, thrash, and grunge rock. In the beginning, our only choice was to play DIY shows with other heavy bands, but this helped set us apart. Although we didn’t fit on most lineups, we did stick out. Having two keyboards and a horn player, along with the typical bass, guitar, and drums, was also a challenge. Supplying enough microphones and power for the whole band in a DIY setting was nearly impossible. This meant stripping everybody down to their bare bones – no fancy pedals, no fancy equipment. Just us and our instruments. 

Although our setup is not ideal, it’s shaping us into the musicians we need to become if we want to survive as a jazz band. 

Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
What sets PUF apart is that we’re a group of average-looking men playing, hopefully, strange stuff. Our newest album, “Live at FTG,” was fully self-produced. We recorded and mixed everything because we wanted to present a wholly unique experience. We want to do things ourselves and earn your attention. 

We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
Success is a warm glass of milk after a long day. We’re big milk guys, and we like to celebrate after a good show or rehearsal. 

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/p.u.f
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pure.unadulterated.funk
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/PUF/100092389006560/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/pufband
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@pureunadulteratedfunk
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4ZAjehIxbrexq481f5mQ3b?si=Wbjs5BUiReitujgMfByhMA&nd=1&dlsi=ab706dc8f12244a0     https://music.apple.com/us/artist/p-u-f/1660636063

Image Credits
Richard A. Kroening