Forming after the dissolution of angular punks WALL and dreamy indie rockers Beverly, New York band Public Practice took elements from its members' previous groups but ultimately ended up in new musical territory. Coating post-punk rhythms with a new wave sheen, Public Practice first emerged in the spring of 2018, playing shows around New York. After releasing a demo recording and a 2018 EP, the band offered up their debut full-length Gentle Grip in 2020.

Public Practice is made up of former WALL lead singer Samantha York and guitarist Vince McClelland, and ex-Beverly members Drew Citron and Scott Rosenthal. Moving past some of the ideas of their former groups, Public Practice's early material took inspiration from post-punk's tense rhythms and meditative Talking Heads-like grooves. They played often around New York in their first months, at gigs with peers like Pill, Bodega and Tough Age. Their debut four-song EP, Distance Is a Mirror, gave a glimpse of their earliest output and was released on Wharf Cat Records in October of 2018. The band focused on live appearances and recordings for much of the next year and in May of 2020, they released their first full-length album, Gentle Grip, again on Wharf Cat. ~ Fred Thomas, Rovi