New Jersey four-piece Pinegrove has so far put out three albums, and all three have that timeless quality which typifies a great record, one which could just as easily have come out 20 years ago, or 20 years in the future. Their most recent album, ‘Marigold’, was the latest to explore the human interaction and community which goes beyond music, and was described by Pitchfork as, “an intense work about one of the most important things imaginable: how to make friendships really matter.” Pinegrove are all about community, they actively encourage their fans to re-imagine their songs, and also provide guitar tabs to facilitate the musical experimentations of their supporters.
New single, ‘Endless’, comes with a music video alongside the extended re-issue of ‘Marigold’, and the song is steeped in Americana, and draws you in instantly with its simple melodies which recall Billy Bragg and Wilco’s rendering of Woody Guthrie’s ‘California Stars’. It’s a song that reminds us that while things don’t look so great right now, we still need to respond to the world as it is, because the alternative – feeling nothing at all – is far worse.
The video sees a seed, yellow and alone, trying to hold on to a bare branch, but ultimately losing its grip, and falling into the freezing stream below. The seed is frozen, then thawed, and swirls along the current, enduring whirlpools and rapids, before being cast ashore. It’s easy to see how this can be a metaphor for what we are currently going through in the world, and director Brian Paccione said, regarding making the video,
“I learned to listen to [nature], respond to it, and collaborate with it. I was not in charge.”
We see a stranger wandering through the woods, and they encounter the seed. We don’t know what happens next, but in the end, life continues. Singer Evan Stephens Hall says,
“In this video we wanted to explore tenacity & endurance of spirit. In this moment of turbulence in our country, as many of us are banding together to fight racism, to stay healthy in a pandemic, & to live with dignity through economic oppression, we believe in the power of resilience and perseverance. Keep going. It’s working.”
Watch the video for ‘Endless’ here, and find out more about Pinegrove on their official website.
