The band has performed on Carson Daly's show, opened arena shows in England and been selected as iTunes' Single of the Week. After a busy summer that included the Lollapalooza, Sasquatch!, and Outside Lands festivals and a high-profile slot opening for fellow Portlanders the Decemberists on select dates, Blind Pilot is embarking on a national headlining tour to support their magnanimous debut, 3 Rounds and a Sound, released last year on Expunged Records. Initially a duo of Nebeker and drummer Ryan Dobrowski, the group now includes Kati Claborn on banjo and dulcimer, Luke Ydstie on upright bass, Dave Jorgensen on trumpet and harmonium, and Ian Krist on vibraphone.
Nebeker and drummer Ryan Dobrowski first met as college students at the University of Oregon. They played together in the occasional band, but the roots of Blind Pilot didn't take hold until the two friends spent a summer abroad in Newquay, England, a laidback surfing town in the coastal county of Cornwall. Nebeker says, "The first night we saw a musician playing on the street. A cop came up and we thought, 'This guy's going to get busted.' But the cop stood and listened, then flipped a pound into the guy's case and walked off. So we said, 'Oh, we're doing this!'" Nebeker strummed an acoustic guitar while Dobrowski, a fine art student, kept time on a makeshift percussion kit constructed out of a sketchpad and pencil tin. "I used that sketchpad more as an instrument than for artwork," laughs Dobrowski. "By the end of the summer, the tin was all flared out from me hitting it."
After that summer of busking by the English seaside, it was a couple more years before Blind Pilot became a serious endeavor, but when Nebeker and Dobrowski decided to focus on making music as a duo, they again sought the ocean air for inspiration. In2006, the pair relocated to the dramatic landscape of Oregon's Pacific coast, a few miles north of Gearhart, Oregon, where Nebeker grew up. His hometown memories are strung throughout the lyrics to 3 Rounds' "Things I Cannot Recall": "We took off sleeping by the river and the beaches in your car/Up where you taught me how to drive a stick and told me your family secret."
In the fishing town of neighboring Astoria, Oregon, the pair camped out on the top floor of an old cannery to prepare songs without outside distraction. The building jutted out into the water, not far from where the Columbia River's broad mouth collides with the Pacific Ocean. Against that tumultuous backdrop, the gentle songs took sturdy formation. Nebeker's honest delivery, accompanied by Dobrowski's uncluttered timekeeping, steered a batch of very personal songs to completion--much like the river's pilot boats, from which Blind Pilot derived their name, guide the mammoth, freight-laden barges up the Columbia.
Both avid cyclists, Nebeker and Dobrowski decided their next move would be a tour by bicycle. Once the songs were together, and a batch of CDRs was readied and hand-pressed, the two embarked without a map or any gigs scheduled. They biked down the West Coast, playing wherever they could along the way. The effort of touring by bicycle was reward in itself. "If we rode all day and we couldn't find a show, or we played for just ten people, we still felt good about our day," remembers Dobrowski.
The first Blind Pilot bike tour started in Vancouver and ended abruptly in San Francisco after their bikes were stolen. But when 3 Rounds and a Sound was finished in Portland last year, they toured again by bicycle, this time making it all the way down to San Diego with new members Claborn and Ydstie in tow--Ydstie's upright bass lumbering behind in a coffin-like trailer. Says Nebeker of touring by bike, "Ironically, the harder you worked, the more fun you had, as long as it's good work for a good reason. When you just sit all day in a van, that's not as much fun." Of course, for this upcoming national tour, Blind Pilot will be traveling by van--a circumstance borne out of practicality, and a necessary side effect of the group's remarkably quick success--but they hold future hopes to tour by bicycle again as soon as possible.
In the meantime, the songs of 3 Rounds and a Sound have stood up after countless miles of road- travel, and Blind Pilot has evolved into a live unit whose group dynamic elevates the music. On record, songs like "The Story I Heard," and "Go On, Say It" are intimately personal meditations, but in the live setting, they take on a communal, celebratory air. Nebeker's voice is buttressed by Claborn's and Ydstie's soaring harmonies, and the folk-spun, roots-inspired arrangements take on both the austere gorgeousness of classical chamber music, and the breathing, perspiring qualities of a great rock 'n' roll show.
"They're playing our song/Can you see the lights?" sings Nebeker in 3 Rounds' title track. "Can you hear the hum of our song? I hope they get it right/I hope we dance tonight before we get it wrong/And the seasons will change us new."
Those lyrics are of careful optimism--but Blind Pilot already has much to look forward to. Very near the start of their journey, they've reached a broader audience than they'd ever imagined, yet they're not willing to make themselves comfortable, even insisting that their first European tour will be via bicycle. "And one of the things I'm most excited about recording the next album is to see how different we can make it,"
Nebeker adds. "The sound that we have going is working really well right now, but I'm totally excited to mess it up."
One Red Thread
Blind Pilot Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It was poisoning the land it was on
One red thread through the middle of a song
My only one
My only one
I can remember the age that I was
But not the story that pumped in my blood
And I was the taker of
Oh where I was
Oh but man, oh man, you can do what you want
Oh man, oh man, you can do what you want
The only line that is true is the line you're from
I have to say there was a mile or two
I had the itch to fly and I flew
Now at best we would make our dreams
With something used
With something used
And from the minute that the line got drawn
I couldn't see straight to you for nothing
Now me, I'm the poisoning one
Yeah I'm the one
I am the
Oh but man, oh man, you can do what you want
Oh man, oh man, you can do what you want
The only line that is true is the line you're
Oh man, oh man, you can do what you want
Oh man, oh man, you can do what you want
The only line that is true is the line you're from
The only line that is true is the line you're from
The Blind Pilot's song 'One Red Thread' is a reflection upon the impact of decisions in life and how they can shape our destiny. The opening lyrics refer to a line that has been drawn and the negative consequences it has had on the surrounding land. The 'one red thread' is used as a metaphorical representation of a significant relationship that is interwoven into one's life. This thread is significant in that it has a powerful presence that is felt even when it is not visible. The song then explores the idea that our past can shape our future and how the impact of others can determine the path that we take.
The lyrics continue to reflect upon the memories and emotions that are held from one's past. The line 'I can remember the age that I was, but not the story that pumped in my blood' suggests that the emotions and feelings from our past experiences leave a lasting impression on who we are as individuals, even if we cannot specifically remember the details. This is reflected through the idea that the other person in the relationship was once seen as the saviour, but now the singer is the poisoning one. This reflects the idea that people and relationships can change and have different impacts on our lives.
The chorus of the song is repeated twice, emphasising the message that 'the only line that is true is the line you're from'. This suggests that our history and the people we have had significant relationships with are the keys to understanding who we are and the paths that we take in life.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh from the first that the line got drawn
From the beginning of the division between us,
It was poisoning the land it was on
The separation between us was harmful to our relationship,
One red thread through the middle of a song
The connection between us is a small but significant part of our lives,
My only one
My only meaningful relationship in life,
I can remember the age that I was
I remember when we first met,
But not the story that pumped in my blood
But I don't remember the details of how we fell in love,
When you were the savior
When you were the one who saved me from my loneliness,
And I was the taker of
And I was the one who needed your love and care,
Oh where I was
I was in a dark place before I met you,
Oh but man, oh man, you can do what you want
You have the freedom to do what you want,
The only line that is true is the line you're from
Your origin and background are the only things that define you,
I have to say there was a mile or two
I admit that there were times when I felt distant from you,
I had the itch to fly and I flew
I felt the urge to leave and explore the world,
Now at best we would make our dreams
Now the best we can hope for is to fulfill our dreams with limited resources,
With something used
Using something that is already worn out or not in its prime,
And from the minute that the line got drawn
From the moment we became divided,
I couldn't see straight to you for nothing
I couldn't see how important you were to me,
Now me, I'm the poisoning one
Now it's me who's causing harm to our relationship,
Yeah I'm the one
I'm the one to blame,
The only line that is true is the line you're
The only thing that truly matters is where you come from,
The only line that is true is the line you're from
Your past and heritage define you more than anything else.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Aaron Nebeker
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Caleb
"One Red Thread"
Oh from the first that the line got drawn
It was poisoning the land it was on
One red thread through the middle of a song
My only one, my only one
I can remember the age that I was
But not that story that pumped in my blood
When you were the savior
And I was the taker of
Oh where I was
Oh but man, oh man, you can do what you want
Oh man, oh man, you can do what you want
The only line that is true is the line you're from
I have to say there was a mile or two
I had the itch to fly and I flew
Now at best we would make our dreams
With something used
With something used
From the minute that the line got drawn
I couldn't see straight to you for nothing
Now me, I'm the poisoning one
Yeah I'm the one
I am the...
Oh but man, oh man, you can do what you want
Oh man, oh man, you can do what you want
The only line that is true is the line you're-
Oh man, oh man, you can do what you want
Oh man, oh man, you can do what you want
The only line that is true is the line you're from
The only line that is true is the line you're from
Naked UnderMyClothes
Oh from the first that the line got drawn
It was poisoning the land it was on
One red thread through the middle of a song
My only one, my only one
I can remember the age that I was
But not that story that pumped in my blood
When you were the savior
And I was the taker of
Oh where I was
Oh but man, oh man, you can do what you want
Oh man, oh man, you can do what you want
The only line that is true is the line you're from
I have to say there was a mile or two
I had the itch to fly and I flew
Now at best we would make our dreams
With something used
With something used
From the minute that the line got drawn
I couldn't see straight to you for nothing
Now me, I'm the poisoning one
Yeah I'm the one
I am the...
Oh but man, oh man, you can do what you want
Oh man, oh man, you can do what you want
The only line that is true is the line you're-
Oh man, oh man, you can do what you want
Oh man, oh man, you can do what you want
The only line that is true is the line you're from
The only line that is true is the line you're from
antistaticandi
A man played this for me once and it nearly made me fall in love with him, it was so good. We had our ups and downs and no longer speak. I can't listen to it now without feeling so sad I could cry. It turned out to be prophetic.
The Happys
I saw them in SF when I was about 18 in the middle of an horrible addiction. This was the only band at the festival that I remembered and this song was awesome to see them do live.
BoxJaw
My favorite coworker got a new job recently selling tickets at a big outside venue in the town over. Today he mentioned in passing that Blind Pilot will be one of the bands performing. I've heard them before, they play on my pandora station, but i've never been all that interested in the music and usually end up skipping their songs. After work one of their songs played on pandora while I was showering and I freakin loved it. It's weird how you can talk about something or bring attention to it and then later on it's everywhere. It just finds a way back into your sphere. Glad to finally give these guys a chance.
Cody Coyote
This song is close to my heart ❤️
Shelby Mayer
This is such an underrated band! I would die to meet these magestic musicians.
everardo Leal
Depending where you are located. They will be in LA this Friday 28th...
madelyn campbell
i think they should stay underrated..
Dim Sum
You just seen them
Michael Huston
Was lucky to see them really early on in Eugene, Oregon at the WOW Hall. They walked through the crowd to get to the stage, and were the nicest people. Really cool group and played a great show. Seen them 4 times now
Jexx Xoémi
Wow, I was listening to this when I was still in high school! The laptop I had this on originally completely broke. Now, after a really random rememberance of this melody, I was able to remember this song. Such an overwhelming feeling of all the memories this brings back~