Pine Proves That Gloom Can Be Bright In New Single "Sunder"

Ottowa quartet Pine delivers a dramatic preview of their upcoming self-titled album through a newly released single, “Sunder” that’s as dark and brooding as a swelling storm, yet there’s just enough light to know that everything will be okay. The band jokingly summarizes their musical style as “doom and gloom never sounded so sweet.” And if the rest of Pine sounds like “Sunder,” then they’re absolutely right.

The shimmery electric guitar on the new track flies alongside singer Darlene Deschamps’ voice as she crescendos and comes back down over and over. In fact, the song pulses with steady soft-to-loud walls of sound throughout its entirety, showcasing a cloudy, disheartened sentiment that rises slowly to hope.

Pine describes the single as a vignette of extremely personal hardships for the group. “This one cuts a little deep. It’s about the band and the trials you go through as a collective. You put so much in and when you think things are finally shaping up, it all comes crumbling down. It encases a moment in time where things were tough, we felt heartbroken and hopeless. Abandoned.” They also stress their feelings of nostalgia for the negativity. Though they won’t wholly live in negative memories, they’ll use them as a tool to create a distinct sound.

When compared to their older music, “Sunder” seems to be thicker. “Letters” from 2015’s EP You Bury Me holds the same overall mood, but showcases a much more simple sound with acoustic guitars and quiet vocals. It focuses on one aspect at a single time rather than layering the way “Sunder” does.

Another previous release, “(Un)rest” from Pillow Talk, showcases their signature style. “(Un)rest” is relatable on so many relationship levels and it keeps with Pine’s dark, dramatic, and cathartic themes. This song, and EP, creeps toward what the band has now become. It tests out complex combinations of sound, something Pine seems to promise with their upcoming self-titled.

Though the band explores painful experiences on Pine, they are incredibly proud of the themes and their stylistic choices. “Despite this record taking almost two years of the universe throwing us curve balls at every possible corner, we have never felt more ourselves than we do now,” says the band. “Fresh out of the dirt, we created something we truly love and that we are extremely proud of. This album is filled with our anxieties, discouragement and personal losses— This album has a heartbeat and it's in all of us.”

Pine will be available to purchase on Friday, September 13th through No Sleep Records.

Track List

1. Within You

2. Lusk

3. Discord

4. Memento

5. Sunder

6. In Your Eyes

7. Maladroit

8. Swollen

9. Bluff

10. Covet