About the Band

Intemperance Collective is the fault of its lead singer and trumpet player Anna Purnell, a 15 year veteran of Madison, Wisconsin's inimitable Balkan band, Reptile Palace Orchestra. Purnell retired from the group in 2010 to focus on her lounge band, The Velvet Smash, but found she could not live without the addictive thrill of performing for folk dancers. 


Thus, Intemperance Collective was born, its mission to house Purnell's smoky, passionate vocals in a more acoustic and traditional setting. Purnell recruited members of Veseliyka and RPO into the band (see Bios). The result is stripped down, kick-you-first-and-kiss-you-next Balkan folk dance magic.


What's With That Band Name, Anyway?
"We're intemperate in our love of the music," Purnell says, "and we hope dancers will demonstrate similar abandon." Band members noted that, collectively, the band might also be considered intemperate were its consumption of Good Old Potosi beer to be considered. Purnell shushed them, but did hand them a bottle opener.

More seriously, the band is also a collective because its musicians represent a great wealth of musical, stylistic, and cultural knowledge to the joy of making music together.


Enough. Let's dance, already.