Purusa is an indie rock band, originally formed in 1999 by lead singer Kris Kirkman and guitarist Zach Hinkelman. The band spent most of ‘00 playing a rigorous live schedule throughout the Pacific Northwest, while completing work on their debut EP 101. Released in early February ‘01, just after the band triumphed in the 94.7 NRK Battle of the Bands, the CD immediately showed strong sales. Despite little fanfare and promotion the CD sold enough to propel it into The Oregonian’s top 10 list of best selling Northwest Artists in early February, where it would remain for nine of the next eleven weeks, climbing as high as #3.