PinegroveBand

Pinegrove is an American rock band formed in 2010 by Evan Stephens Hall. Pinegrove is known for their literary lyricism and loyal following of fans, which refer to themselves as "Pinenuts."
==History==
===Early Years (2010-2014)===
Pinegrove was formed in Montclair, a township in New Jersey, in 2010. Singer-songwriter Evan Stephens Hall and drummer Zack Levine met in childhood, during which their fathers played in a cover band together. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/01/20/pinegrove-stages-a-complicated-comeback The former two first began playing music together at seven years old, forming their first band, the Pug Fuglies, in the sixth grade. During the next grade, the duo began playing together in Dogwater, an experimental grunge band, https://lancasteronline.com/features/entertainment/pinegrove-frontman-finds-inspiration-in-literature/article_c018004a-3041-11e7-868f-636199df3307.html which they focused on throughout high school. https://consequenceofsound.net/2016/03/cosign-pinegrove-enjoy-comfy-conversations-through-casual-rock/ Hall went on to attend Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio; the name of Pinegrove refers to the Brown Family Environmental Center, a nature reserve located in the Kokosing River valley. https://pitchfork.com/features/rising/10090-half-waifs-restless-electro-pop/https://www.kenyon.edu/directories/offices-services/brown-family-environmental-center/ Hall frequented the land for introspection. One spot contained a region of pine trees, referred to as the "pinegrove" by students, that Hall felt was particularly important; its grid was visually geometrical, a concept often explored by Hall, as well as repetitious, which Hall related back to music. https://www.btrtoday.com/read/tuneup/tune-up-52/ 
Pinegrove's lineup has been variable over the course of its career; Levine and Hall are considered the band's core members. https://noisey.vice.com/en_us/article/695vjy/small-city-big-world-a-night-with-pinegrove Since its inception, the band has also included guitar contributions from Levine's younger sibling, Nick Levine, https://www.thelineofbestfit.com/new-music/song-of-the-day/jodi-remember as well as Josh Marré. http://www.mtv.com/news/2795038/pinegrove-cardinal-escape-and-adventure/ Sam Skinner has co-produced each Pinegrove album and performed bass, http://www.sirwranglelot.com/2016/03/15/an-interview-with-pinegroves-evan-stephen-hall/ and Adan Carlo Feliciano http://ndsmcobserver.com/2016/09/pinegrove-show/ and David Mitchell have also served as bassists. Throughout its history, the band has also featured vocals from musician Nandi Rose Plunkett, who has since ceased touring with them but continues to contribute to studio recordings. Plunkett, who met Hall at Kenyon College, leads her own synth-pop project called Half Waif, which Zack Levine and Carlo also play in. Levine explained in an interview that "[t]he full-time band structure [of Pinegrove] dissipated somewhat, based on who" was available to tour with the band.
Pinegrove spent its early years performing DIY concerts in basements around Montclair and surrounding areas. Many of their early tours were booked by the members themselves and performed to "no one," according to the band. https://pitchfork.com/features/article/reckoning-with-pinegrove/ Hall spent nine months in the borough and returned home to Montclair, viewing it a more peaceful space to write music.
After several years of self-releasing their music, the band signed to Boston-based independent label Run for Cover Records (RFC) in October 2015. https://www.spin.com/2015/10/pinegrove-new-friends-stream-everything-so-far-run-for-cover/ The group were connected with the label by Cam Boucher of the band Sorority Noise. https://www.spin.com/2016/02/pinegrove-cardinal-new-album-interview-all-eyes-on/ In addition, the group received help from booking agent Greg Horbal, whom the group met through Dexter Loos, a drummer who had worked with fellow Montclair acts Tawny Peaks and Alex G. http://www.sirwranglelot.com/2016/03/15/an-interview-with-pinegroves-evan-stephen-hall/ 
===Mainstream Success (2016-2019)===
Pinegrove began to sell out venues across the country. After a tour supporting Into It. Over It., https://www.nj.com/entertainment/music/2016/01/must-hear_nj_agile_indie-rockers_pinegrove_continu.html they embarked on their first headlining tour of the U.S. between June and August 2016, supported by Sports, Ratboys, and Half Waif. https://consequenceofsound.net/2016/04/pinegrove-announce-north-american-headlining-tour/ The group recorded a live session for Audiotree that was released as a live album digitally; a Pitchfork review described its fan reception as "legendary." https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/22823-elsewhere/ Chris DeVille, writing for Stereogum, summarized the band's word-of-mouth rise to fame: "the project [has] evolved from a collegiate distraction to a hard-touring underground institution [...] Pinegrove are one of the greatest bands in the world right now." https://www.stereogum.com/1952342/pinegrove-sends-pitchfork-fest-into-an-emotional-frenzy/franchises/sounding-board/ 
In 2017, Hall and Levine began to rent to a rural farmhouse in Kinderhook, a town in upstate New York. The space, which the band named Amperland, functions as a studio and home, and was on lease to the members until 2020. http://www.undertheradarmag.com/interviews/pinegrove_evan_stephens_hall_on_marigold_covid-19_and_the_presidential_elec The band were widely regarded as on the verge of stardom; according to journalist Kelefa Sanneh, the band at this moment "seemed poised to enlarge its audience significantly." 
The group mutually parted ways with RFC after other artists on the label voiced concern about its association with Pinegrove. A small series of tour dates commenced between November and December 2018 domestically and abroad, which sold out. https://pitchfork.com/news/pinegrove-announce-first-tour-since-hiatus/ The reaction to the band's "comeback" https://www.thedailybeast.com/pinegrove-inside-an-indie-rock-darlings-disturbing-metoo-comeback was described as muted, with many fans uneasy but mainly supportive. https://www.spin.com/2019/08/pinegrove-moment-rough-trade/ AllMusic biographer Timothy Monger suggested the band "regained some of their lost momentum." 
===Hiatus (2020-2023)===
In 2023, the band issued a concert film, Montclair: Pinegrove Live at the Wellmont Theater, recorded the night of their hometown show at the Wellmont Theater a year prior. https://montclairlocal.news/montclairs-pinegrove-comes-home-plays-wellmont-oct-20/ The movie was shot and directed by Brian Paccione. https://nitehawkcinema.com/williamsburg/movies/pinegrove/ 
The band hinted at a slowdown of activity in the early 2020s, with each of its members pursuing individual callings. In April 2023, the band announced that founding drummer Zack Levine would be departing the group. Hall posted that the band would exist "on a more casual basis," in what was widely interpreted as a hiatus, https://consequence.net/2023/04/pinegrove-departure-zack-levine-hiatus/ with no active plans for performing. "Pinegrove is not over, but it seems this era is [...] Thanks for coming to see us play through the years," the post read. https://www.stereogum.com/2221993/pinegrove-will-exist-on-a-more-casual-basis-following-drummer-co-founder-zack-levines-departure/news/ 
In June 2023, Pinegrove's song "Need 2" gained traction on TikTok. This uptick was caused by a user with the handle @garrettlee39 performing a unique dance set to the song, which came to be coined the "Pinegrove shuffle". https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/pinegrove-shuffle In an interview with Rolling Stone, Hall described the original video as "very strange and mesmerizing". He did, however, reiterate that the band's newfound virality would not impact their hiatus: "I mean, we’re all in our thirties. We’ve got other things that we want to be doing, and I’m going to be studying English in a grad program in the fall. So there are a lot of things that I’m doing my best to finish up before I go, but I’m really excited to do this. I’m sort of viewing it as a sabbatical. It’s going to help me tell stories better."
==Controversy==
=== Sexual Coercion===
On November 21, 2017, Hall posted a lengthy statement on the band's Facebook page in which he described and responded to an allegation of "sexual coercion" from an unnamed woman, https://pitchfork.com/news/pinegrove-cancel-tour-after-accusation-of-sexual-coercion-against-frontman-evan-stephens-hall/ later revealed to be a member of the band's touring entourage. The band canceled the aforementioned dates for December and further removed tour dates overseas in the new year, which were set for March. https://pitchfork.com/news/pinegrove-cancel-tour-after-accusation-of-sexual-coercion-against-frontman-evan-stephens-hall/ Aside from an update confirming an indefinite hiatus. https://www.stereogum.com/1980690/pinegrove-share-update-on-hiatus/news/ The controversy stalled the band's growing momentum, and complicated their relationship with fans. https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/pinegrove-derailed-at-the-height-of-metoo-now-the-band-wants-to-sing-to-its-skeptics/2019/02/25/02ac30b0-391a-11e9-a2cd-307b06d0257b_story.html Its timing came at the height of the broader Me Too movement. https://www.allmusic.com/artist/pinegrove-mn0003442791/biography Due to the uncertain nature of the allegations, many media outlets found the statement vague or confusing. https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/pinegrove-derailed-at-the-height-of-metoo-now-the-band-wants-to-sing-to-its-skeptics/2019/02/25/02ac30b0-391a-11e9-a2cd-307b06d0257b_story.htmlhttps://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/rock/8477200/pinegrove-prepping-return-sexual-coercion-claims More information surfaced in an April 2018 account in Spin, detailing the role of mental health organization Punk Talks in the controversy: the Philadelphia-based nonprofit was involved in facilitating Hall's statement, and had done so "without [the accuser's] knowledge, support or permission". https://www.spin.com/featured/punk-talks-pinegrove-controversy/ A longer report by Jenn Pelly of Pitchfork was published that September, offering more details and announcing the band's return. The group's extended hiatus was at the request of Hall's accuser, with whom he came to a resolution via a private mediator. https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/rock/8477200/pinegrove-prepping-return-sexual-coercion-claims
==Discography==
===Albums===
*Meridian (2012)
*Cardinal (2016)
*Skylight (2018)
*Marigold (2020)
*11:11 (2022)
===Live Albums ===
*Pinegrove on Audiotree Live (2016)
*Elsewhere (2017)
*Elsewhere 2 (2020)
*Amperland, NY (2021)
*Montclair (Live at the Wellmont Theater) (2023)
===Compilation Albums===
* Everything So Far (2014)
===Extended Plays===
*Mixtape One (2010)
*& (2013)
*Mixtape Two (2014)
==Tours==
==References==
Category:Music YouTubers
Category:American YouTubers
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