The Six Parts Seven

The Six Parts Seven is an American post-rock band formerly based in Kent, Ohio. The band was founded in 1995 by brothers Allen and Jay Karpinski (playing guitar and drums, respectively), who had earlier played with Old Hearts Club, a band of similar style including vocals. In 1998, Tim Gerak was added to the core member line-up, playing guitar and also credited with additional engineering on the band's later recordings.

Most of the group's music is instrumental, featuring multiple "clean" (undistorted) electric guitars, with electric bass and drums, as well as electric lap steel guitar, viola, and occasionally piano, vibraphone, or trumpet. Rather than relying primarily on strummed chords, songs are generally built by combining single-note melodic lines.

The band has been through a plethora of line-up changes, and minor positions in the band have proved to be a revolving chair, while retaining the core force of the Karpinski brothers and Tim Gerak. Former vibraphonist Eric Koltnow left the band after the release of Everywhere and Right Here, as well as former lap steel player Ben Vaughan after the birth of his first child. Minor positions, such as the newly-added trumpet, have been filled by members of other bands from the Akron, Ohio area.

The Six Parts Seven's name is based on a quote from Virginia Governor William Berkeley in 1676, "How miserable that man is that governs a people where six parts of seven at least are poor, indebted, discontented and armed." A recent interview with another band member claims the name derives from a childhood game between brothers Jay and Allen. Although its name is similar, The Six Parts Seven should not be confused with the British band Six by Seven.

The group has toured the United States several times and performed in March 2006 at the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas. Since the early 21st century its music has been used frequently by National Public Radio's All Things Considered news program as transition music. Group leader Allen Karpinski was interviewed about the group's music on the same program in September 2004.

In 2024, the band released a collaborative album with Goodmorning Valentine, called Kissing Distance. It had originally been recorded in two weekends in 2006.

Current

 * Allen Karpinski - guitar, electric bass, keyboards
 * Jay Karpinski - drums
 * Tim Gerak - guitar, banjo, lap steel, samples
 * Mike Tolan - electric bass guitar, guitar, organ, banjo
 * Steve Clements - grand piano, keyboards
 * Jake Trombetta - electric lap steel guitar, guitar, piano
 * Jennifer Court - clarinet

Former

 * Brad Visker - electric bass
 * Ben Vaughan - electric lap steel guitar
 * Eric Koltnow - vibraphone
 * Matt Haas - electric lap steel guitar
 * Mary Mazzer - electric lap steel guitar
 * Heather Wiker - viola

Studio albums

 * 1998 - In Lines and Patterns... CD (Donut Friends)
 * 2000 - Silence Magnifies Sound CD (Troubleman Unlimited)
 * 2002 - Things Shaped in Passing CD & 2xLP (Suicide Squeeze)
 * 2004 - Everywhere, and Right Here CD & LP (Suicide Squeeze)
 * 2007 - Casually Smashed to Pieces CD & LP (Suicide Squeeze)
 * 2024- Kissing Distance (Suicide Squeeze)

EPs

 * 2003 - The Six Parts Seven/The Black Keys EP CD-EP (Suicide Squeeze)
 * 2003 - Attitudes of Collapse One-Sided LP (Burnt Toast Vinyl)

Remix albums

 * 2003 - Lost Notes from Forgotten Songs CD (Suicide Squeeze)

Unofficial releases

 * 1995 - The Six Parts Seven Cassette
 * 2001 - Untitled EP (Solo Singles Series) CD (Troubleman Unlimited)

Compilations

 * 2000 - Slightest Indication of Change CD & LP (Slowdance Records), SLOW-007
 * 2001 - Troubleman Mix-Tape 2xCD (Troubleman Unlimited, 2001, TMU-050)
 * 2002 - Devil In the Woods 52 7" vinyl (Devil in the Woods records), DIW-52

Reviews

 * Review of Silence Magnifies Sound by John Dark, Pitchfork Media
 * Short story review of Casually Smashed To Pieces [The Wheel's Still In Spin]
 * Review of Casually Smashed to Pieces by Thomas Lloyd, The Silent Ballet

Listening

 * "Six Parts Seven's Harmonic Rock" from NPR All Things Considered program, 16 September 2004