Piñataland

Singer/songwriters Dave Wechsler and Doug Stone share an enduring curiosity about the planet’s stranger elements. Drawing inspiration from those oddities that capture their attention, they weave them into musical settings. The pair formed Piñataland, a worldbeat-inflected ensemble, during their time at Hampshire College in the early ’90s. After relocating to New York City several years afterward, they devoted themselves to refining their songwriting and production approach, ultimately assembling a striking five-piece lineup whose sound incorporated tubas, violins, accordions, guitars, and drums. The self-titled debut arrived on their independent Mekkatone imprint in 1997, followed two years later by Songs from Konijn Kok. Intent on crafting an intricate, narrative-driven work, the members deliberately extended the interval before their next release. Songs for the Forgotten Future, Vol. 1 emerged in 2003 as their most abstract collection to that point and justified the extended preparation.