The band Skullcap takes its name from an herb used in indigenous medicine that is used to ease
depression or anxiety. Their debut album, Snakes of Albequerque on Cuneiform Records,
combines jazz, rock, and free improv to form a memorably tuneful kind of road movie
soundtrack. The music navigates wildly different terrain from Tennessee to Monterey to New
Mexico. The group is a trio led by the husband and wife team of guitarist Anthony Pirog and
cellist Janel Leppin, who have been making music together for over 20 years. Anthony is well
known for his work with jazz/rock group The Mezzthetics, and Janel has released several duo
and solo albums, as well as two recordings with her group Ensemble Volcanic Ash. They met
drummer Mike Kuhl about 15 years ago in their home town of Baltimore.

At a time the band members view as an incredibly stressful moment for many Americans, Leppin
says "We have something to fight for. We can’t abandon this place or the people living here for
all its conflicts and challenges. This record is a way to step into our power as we meet this
serious moment full on. We’ll need to access joy and courage moving forward and the music
speaks to that."

The way the band writes holds a major key to figuring out Skullcap. Mike Kuhl says "There are
no lead sheets or scores. We write together, bringing in basic ideas - not much information is
given. I bring in some sort of groove or vibe, and then I let Anthony and Janel do what they do.
All of our material is composed together - there is 100% trust within this group.”