Personal Space

Personal Space is a NYC/DC based band blending elements of post-punk, grunge, and emo. Members Sam Rosenthal, Alex Silva, Jesse Chevan, and Justin Gonçalves have been making music together since first meeting at school in NYC in the mid-2000s.


Their first LP Ecstatic Burbs was released in 2016 on Tiny Engines and contrasted the saccharine surreality of suburban upbringing with the stark realities of life after college. It was noted for conjuring 90s indie rockers Dismemberment Plan and earned praise from The Village Voice, Stereogum, and Brooklyn Vegan.


Swept up in the Bernie wave that followed Trump's election, the band took their time with the next LP. What followed was 2021's A Lifetime of Leisure, which fretted over downward mobility, wondered if ethically-sourced groceries were doing the trick, and dreamt of a chill socialist utopia glimpsed just beyond the horizon. Musically it was warmer but still restless, like Steely Dan with less glitz, or Pinback with more bite.


Their new EP, Still Life, finds them crawling out of their pandemic cave and embracing life on permanent hold - pondering past romances, remembering friends they’d rather forget, and swiping left on going outside. But whether they’re ripping off Third Eye Blind or doing their best Stereolab impression, Personal Space always brings their signature elixir to satisfy parched ears: dropped eighths, shimmering guitars, and a whole lot of skronk.