The Dead Pens' Story

The Dead Pens debut EP Unaddressed  received notable national attention and radio airplay:

BIO   

​The Dead Pens are a (mostly) acoustic trio. Unabashedly dark, all original music. All three members are pro musicians from different genres, who met while working on other projects. 

"We play songs about love, and death, and tacos." 

Guitarist Ryan Abbott was founding member of the surf-punk band The Phantom Limbs, who many albums available on all venues and formats. He has performed live with a variety of well-known bands over the years, touring and working as a session guitar player; lending guitar and piano tracks at major DC area studios, including Omega Studios and Sheffield’s Audio. Abbott has written and recorded five albums and has appeared as a guest on several more. He brought the other two members together to form the group.  

Vocalist is Danah Koch. The singer-songwriter-musician from Stevensville, MD has gone from unknown to a high-demand performer in a few short years. Not only does Danah have solid songwriting skills, her pretty and petite exterior hides a BIG voice and emotional power that is sought-after, and has propelled Danah onto center stage of the local music scene. Danah is a classically-trained pianist, and self-taught guitarist.  

​Cellist is Sally McGee. She trained as a classical musician who has played in a local orchestra, quartets, and toured worldwide with the Washington Women's Chorus. She took a break from classical music, until Ryan talked her into doing some unusual studio work on the Phantom Limbs final studio album. He enjoyed the different sound and they began writing music together and working on unusual versions of current songs, eventually recording the first Chick Habit album together.  

The band is recording their first full-length studio album, and are playing limited live performances. Please contact us for Bookings.

The Dead Pens play their own dark blend of alt-folk, post-pop original music, along with (very) occasional covers.

 THE DEAD PENS ORIGIN STORY:

The Dead Pens are lonely, stuck between dimensions, lost on the two lane highways of Anne Arundel County on an endless night. 

Nothing exists outside of their headlights, only the broken yellow lines dipping beneath the speeding car's fender matter.  All of a sudden something jumps into the road. A wounded chupacabra, sickly-looking in the light of the dusty headlamps, appears and snarls its yellow teeth.  Sally McGee, cellist, jerks the wheel to the right and within seconds the car is off the road, but instead of Maryland concrete, the wheels catch grass and dirt.  Ryan, guitarist and backseat denizen, adjusts his collar and leans forward. 
"The hell was that?" he asks.  "Fuckin' chupacabras," Sally says.  She hates mythological creatures.  A griffin ate her bow once. 

The car barrels across an ancient meadow and then struggles to scale a glen, and finally rolls to a standstill.  Ryan and Sally get out.  They hear only the sounds of insects and the ticking of the engine.  Ryan lights a cigarette, though he doesn't smoke.  It's just an appropriate thing to do. 

The pair spot an apparition floating from the woods near the car, but it's hard to make it out, it's too dark, until they see what has come for them.  

A beautiful young girl in a red dress stands before them holding the carcass of the chupacabra that sent their car spiraling into insanity.  "My name is Danah Koch," she says. "Danah is spelled with an H." 
"Noted," Ryan says.  "Now, let us start a fire and prepare this chupacabre for the feast."  Ryan ashes his cigarette awkwardly and says, "then you shall speak for us."  Sally pops down her welding mask and activates a large blow torch. 

The Dead Pens were born. 

​Disclaimer: 
All of the above is a total fabrication born of Ryan's fevered brain. 

 

The Dead Pens debut at TE Holiday Party (Dec 2018)