Pinegrove perform in The Current studio
by Jade
October 20, 2017
The last time Pinegrove played in Minneapolis was back in May 2016 at The Triple Rock Social Club (RIP) as the first opener of a three-band bill. Having to cancel their first headlining date here in Dec. of 2016, the New Jersey indie-rockers finally made it back to the Twin Cities to play a sold out show at The Entry on Oct. 19. Evan Stephens Hall (lead vocals and guitar), Zach Levine (drums and vocals), Josh Marre (guitar), and Hannah Read (bass and vocals) joined Jade in the studio before their gignto play a few songs and unpack some meaning behind their latest album, Cardinal, and talk about inclusivity in the scene and new music.
Hall knows how to artfully take his interpersonal communications and weave them into emotionally-charged, highly relatable songs. "There's a lot about correspondence on the album [Cardinal]. This is its own universe, and certainly I've taken queues I've learned as a person and trying to compress everything I've learned in my twenty-eight years into two minutes, or thirty minutes."
Pinegrove cites Serendipity Café — a student-run, all-ages music venue in their hometown - as being a place that taught them about DIY ethics when it came to running their shows now as they continue to grow in popularity. "We do try to dictate every aspect that we can. We're curating every bill, we're definitely trying to promote respect as much as possible, and inclusivity. We are pretty adamant about making our tickets as affordable as possible and accessibility in general — all ages shows." Being a band that tends to draw a younger audience, this accessibility has been important to fans trying to get out to see one of their favorite bands.
Though Cardinal was released back in Feb. 2016, they are still selling out venues, like The Entry, in support of it. After some teasing of new music over this past summer, the promise of new music from Pinegrove is here. "We have an album that's going to come out. We're finished with it, but with the time that it takes to make vinyl, we're a few months out yet."
Songs Performed
"Aphasia"
"Problems"
"Recycling"
"Intrepid"
Hosted by Jade
Produced by Derrick Stevens
Engineered by Michael DeMark
Visuals by Emmet Kowler
Web feature by Maia Jacobson
Resources
Pinegrove - official site
