Pinegrove have revealed details of a new feature length film, Amperland, NY, and accompanying soundtrack album to be released on Rough Trade on January 15th.
The film, scripted from a short story by Pinegrove’s Evan Stephens Hall and directed by Kenna Hynes, was filmed at the band’s long time home in upstate New York, known as “Amperland” to Pinegrove and their fans, prior to the house being sold by the owner earlier this year. The band will screen a ticketed online premiere for fans as a fundraiser for environmental action group The Sunrise Movement on January 13th at 6pm EST for a donation of $5.00 and over. The screening will be followed by a band Q&A moderated by Busy Philipps. Tickets for the screening are available now at Pinegroveband.com along with pre-order for the soundtrack album.
Watch the “Amperland, NY Trailer” below:
The film, produced in conjunction with Chromeoscope, and described by Evan as “fun, hopefully poignant, definitely weird ”, includes 22 songs – a full set list length of performances – spanning the band’s entire career to date. Those new renditions of old gems, recorded as live in the Amperland house by Pinegrove’s Sam Skinner, will be released as a soundtrack album – also titled Amperland, NY – at the same time as the film. Evan explains the film as “threaded by a surreal, giddy narrative – reimaginings of our catalogue and first-time-imaginings of Pinegrovian tall tales.” The band viewed the project as a way of honoring the house that had acted as home, recording studio and important creative haven for their last two albums:Skylight (2017) and Marigold (2020). Today’s news comes with the release of one of the songs from the project: a new live version of “Morningtime (Amperland, NY)”, which originally appeared on Pinegrove’s 2012’s self-released debut, Meridian, and reissued on Everything so Far (2015).
The band’s last studio album, Marigold, was released to critical acclaim in January 2020 and led the New York Times to describe them as, “The only male fronted band that matters right now.” Going on to say, “There are very few bands doing what Pinegrove are doing and connectin.”
About Pinegrove:
Formed in 2010 by childhood friends Evan Stephens Hall and drummer Zack Levine, Pinegrove have released four albums —Everything So Far, Cardinal, Skylight, and Marigold (2020) — to widespread critical acclaim, garnering them a growing and devoted listenership. They’ve described their sound as variously as ‘introspective party music’, or ‘energetic music in the folk tradition’; in any case, they have combined catharsis and inventive structures with irrepressible melodies, resonant lyrics and emotive twang.
Zack describes Pinegrove as “a constellation of soulmates.” Zack and Evan have known each other for 26 years and been playing music together for 21, communicating via a “telepathic musical connection.” Nearly everyone they work with are friends and collaborators from way back. Amperland, NY features Evan, Zack, Josh Marre, Megan Benavente, Sam Skinner as well as appearances from Nandi Rose,Nick Levine, Michael Levine and Doug Hall. Sam also engineered and co-produced the record, as he has on every Pinegrove recording since 2015.
Praise for Pinegrove:
“There’s a confessional quality to the songs of Pinegrove that feels reassuring. The problems that swirl around Evan Stephens Hall’s head feel universal”
Bob Boilen, NPR
“Pinegrove…revolves around Hall’s ability to break your heart and put it back together again in the span of a single song.”
Consequence Of Sound
“The Montclair, New Jersey’s band’s sound–off-the-cuff, loose heart-on-sleeve indie-rock cut with Americana–is the perfect vessel for that kind of premature twilight, anxiety and loss. Above all else, it feels so goddamned natural.”
Exclaim
“What’s unique about Pinegrove is how they compress uncertainty, doubt and fear without being overbearing.”
DIY Magazine
“”Pinegrove is the best thing to come out of New Jersey since the invention of the lightbulb. They are seemingly always lovelorn, and exist so in a most vulnerable, straightforward, poetic way.”
WKNC
“One of the most talented recording and touring bands in the land.”
Under The Radar
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