Pretend

Emerging from Southern California in 2004, the math rock quartet Pretend fuses intricate musical structures with gentle, heartfelt singing. Their sound achieves technical sophistication and deep feeling while avoiding any harsh or abrasive qualities, transforming uneven beats into ethereal and inviting textures. The lineup featured drummer Joel Morgan, guitarist Timothy Ramirez, vocalist and guitarist Luke Palascak, along with bassist Denver Billing. Their first record, Bones in the Soil, Rust in the Oil, came out independently during 2009. Shelsmusic put out a follow-up edition in 2010 that featured altered cover art and an adjusted song sequence. Mike Russell, the engineer behind their initial release, later joined on bass, allowing the ensemble to expand their grand-scale pieces as the album cultivated a dedicated audience over time. Topshelf Records brought them aboard in 2015, marking the release of Tapestry'd Life as a double vinyl set—their first appearance in that format.