Biography
Pinegrove, a New Jersey-based group, fused ragged indie rock edged with emo sensibilities alongside Americana and folk touches. Several independently issued recordings that earned solid praise helped them develop a loyal grassroots following before they joined Run for Cover Records and delivered their 2016 breakthrough album, Cardinal. They subsequently moved to Rough Trade, opening the decade with Marigold as their fourth full-length, then issued the ambitious feature-length film Amperland, NY together with its accompanying soundtrack in 2021. Political and socially conscious themes ran through the following year’s 11:11 LP, which they supplemented with the 2023 live album Montclair.
Singer/songwriter Evan Stephens Hall fronts the band, whose core lineup also includes drummer Zack Levine and his sibling Nick Levine on guitar. The group first surfaced from Montclair in 2010 with the self-released EP Mixtape One. Their debut album, Meridian, appeared in 2012 and was followed by the independent EPs & and Mixtape Two. Early 2015 brought the anthology Everything So Far, which gathered all prior material and soon attracted Boston’s Run for Cover Records, leading to a reissue later that year. With the new contract secured, Pinegrove made their label debut in early 2016 with Cardinal, their second proper studio album. The record became a breakthrough, earning placement on multiple prominent critics’ year-end lists and supporting the band’s first headlining U.S. tour as well as their initial European tour. Run for Cover followed with a deluxe vinyl edition of Everything So Far in 2017 and the live album Elsewhere the same year.
In November 2017, after completing their third studio album and already teasing its arrival, Hall posted a statement on Pinegrove’s Facebook page that addressed allegations of “sexual coercion” made against him by an unnamed woman. Issued during the #MeToo movement, the announcement prompted the cancellation of all immediate touring plans and delayed the release of the forthcoming album, Skylight. Following a year-long hiatus, the band issued Skylight digitally themselves in November 2018, with physical copies appearing in February 2019.
Extensive touring allowed Pinegrove to regain momentum, and they signed with Rough Trade later that year. Their fourth album, Marigold, arrived in January 2020. Over the course of the year, Hall and his bandmates undertook the ambitious project of producing a feature-length independent film loosely inspired by their Upstate New York house, affectionately called Amperland. Adapted from one of Hall’s short stories and directed by Kenna Hynes, Amperland, NY was paired with a soundtrack containing 22 new Pinegrove songs. Both the film and the combined soundtrack/live album were released in January 2021. Their next studio album followed twelve months later. Continuing their ongoing co-productions by Hall and multi-instrumentalist Sam Skinner, 11:11 responded to the heavy sociopolitical climate of the period. It also marked the first occasion Pinegrove worked with an outside mixing engineer, Chris Walla. The 2023 concert album Montclair (Live at the Wellmont Theater) served as the soundtrack to a live film recorded at the hometown venue.
Singer/songwriter Evan Stephens Hall fronts the band, whose core lineup also includes drummer Zack Levine and his sibling Nick Levine on guitar. The group first surfaced from Montclair in 2010 with the self-released EP Mixtape One. Their debut album, Meridian, appeared in 2012 and was followed by the independent EPs & and Mixtape Two. Early 2015 brought the anthology Everything So Far, which gathered all prior material and soon attracted Boston’s Run for Cover Records, leading to a reissue later that year. With the new contract secured, Pinegrove made their label debut in early 2016 with Cardinal, their second proper studio album. The record became a breakthrough, earning placement on multiple prominent critics’ year-end lists and supporting the band’s first headlining U.S. tour as well as their initial European tour. Run for Cover followed with a deluxe vinyl edition of Everything So Far in 2017 and the live album Elsewhere the same year.
In November 2017, after completing their third studio album and already teasing its arrival, Hall posted a statement on Pinegrove’s Facebook page that addressed allegations of “sexual coercion” made against him by an unnamed woman. Issued during the #MeToo movement, the announcement prompted the cancellation of all immediate touring plans and delayed the release of the forthcoming album, Skylight. Following a year-long hiatus, the band issued Skylight digitally themselves in November 2018, with physical copies appearing in February 2019.
Extensive touring allowed Pinegrove to regain momentum, and they signed with Rough Trade later that year. Their fourth album, Marigold, arrived in January 2020. Over the course of the year, Hall and his bandmates undertook the ambitious project of producing a feature-length independent film loosely inspired by their Upstate New York house, affectionately called Amperland. Adapted from one of Hall’s short stories and directed by Kenna Hynes, Amperland, NY was paired with a soundtrack containing 22 new Pinegrove songs. Both the film and the combined soundtrack/live album were released in January 2021. Their next studio album followed twelve months later. Continuing their ongoing co-productions by Hall and multi-instrumentalist Sam Skinner, 11:11 responded to the heavy sociopolitical climate of the period. It also marked the first occasion Pinegrove worked with an outside mixing engineer, Chris Walla. The 2023 concert album Montclair (Live at the Wellmont Theater) served as the soundtrack to a live film recorded at the hometown venue.
Albums
Montclair
2023
11:11
2022
Amperland, NY
2021
Marigold
2020
Skylight
2019
Everything So Far
2017
Cardinal
2016
Singles
