Pikelny started playing the banjo at the age of 8, inspired by his older brother playing the mandolin and his parents' suggestion. He started in the
clawhammer style of banjo playing, but switched to three finger Scruggs-style bluegrass after listening to an album by
Bela Fleck and the Flecktones. Pikelny was in the music group Leftover Salmon from 2002 until leaving in 2004 to play in the
John Cowan Band from 2004 to 2006, playing on the band's "New Tattoo" record, just before the formation of
Punch Brothers in that same year.
Chris Thile of
Nickel Creek was planning to form a string quintet, but did not know what direction he wanted to take it, except that he wanted it to include fiddler
Gabe Witcher. After Thile had a
jam session with Witcher, Pikelny, bassist Greg Garrison and guitarist
Chris Eldridge, he decided he wanted the band to be a quintet. The band was called "The How to Grow a Band" in 2006 when they were the backing band on Thile's solo release
How to Grow a Woman from the Ground, as well as the following supporting shows. After on and off touring throughout 2007 coinciding with Nickel Creek's
Farewell (For Now) Tour, the band's name was changed to the "Tensions Mountain Boys" briefly, and subsequently to Punch Brothers (borrowed from a
short story by
Mark Twain). Punch Brothers released
Punch, their first official album as a band, on
Nonesuch Records on February 26, 2008. ==Awards==