Pile was initially the solo project of Boston-based singer/guitarist Rick Maguire. He issued a pair of rough but engaging lo-fi albums (2007's Demonstration and 2009's Jerk Routine) that segued between experimental folk, jagged indie rock, and elements of post-rock. Transforming Pile into a collective, Maguire assembled the full-time lineup of guitarist Matt Becker, bassist Matt Connery, and drummer Kris Kuss in 2010 and released Magic Isn't Real, establishing the dark and noisy tones that would become one of the group's hallmarks. Following a 2011 EP titled Big Web, Pile signed with Exploding in Sound and made their label debut with 2012's widely touted Dripping. The 7" release Special Snowflakes/Mama's Lipstick preceded 2015's You're Better Than This as the band continued a daunting touring schedule, hitting North America and Europe. With each release, Pile's sound continued to evolve, adding piano, banjo, and strings on 2017's A Hairshirt of Purpose, which ran the gamut from slow, orchestrated tracks to massive noisy assaults. Jack White's Third Man label issued Pile's first live album, Live at Third Man Records, in late 2017. Between albums, the band collected singles and other miscellaneous tracks on the appropriately titled 2018 collection Odds and Ends before returning with seventh studio album Green and Gray in the spring of 2019. By this point Maguire had moved from Boston to Nashville and enlisted new member Chappy Hull (guitar) and Alex Molini (bass) to join him.
After releasing 2020's Second Other Tape, a set of experimental sketches, Maguire began revisiting Pile's earlier catalog and approaching it from a new angle. Recorded entirely on his own over the course of a three-day session, 2021's Songs Known Together, Alone, consisted of 16 reworked compositions that went as far back as 2007's Demonstration. It was followed later that year by the fully improvised In the Corners of a Sphere-Filled Room which, like its predecessor was self-released. 2023's All Fiction marked Pile's return to longtime label Exploding in Sound and was seen as a proper follow up to Green and Gray. Kuss, still living in Boston, rejoined the band for these sessions, which featured a more textured and complex sound.
Biography by Timothy Monger
There are other artists with the same name:
2.) Pile is a Japanese Singer and Seiyuu, Her real name is Hori Eriko (堀絵梨子) and she was born in 1988. She released a indies solo single in 2007 called "Your is All... " but didn't make a major solo debut until 2014 with the single "伝説のFLARE", which was used as the third ending song for the anime "Tenkai Knight".
3.) Tech house duo consisting of Markus Nikolai and Thomas Franzmann, founders of the Perlon label. Mainly active in the late 1990s, Pile produced a handful of tracks, first on the Epic label and finally on Perlon. Their unique style blended irregular, stripped-down house beats and distorted techno melodies with unorthodox vocal samples and characterized the early tech house sound. The group is no longer active, but Nikolai and Franzmann continue to work under different aliases.
I Don't Want To Do This Anymore
Pile Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I hear the release and then silence
And then I pretend to sleep
I'd rather on the ground than in your bed
I'll sleep on the ground or stay up instead
There's a deep well that seems mostly empty
I stand at its edge and stare down helplessly
Then I pretend to be alone
I'd rather on the ground than in your bed
I'll sleep on the lawn or stay up instead
Stink and sweat and moan and dream of new air
The lyrics to "I Don't Want to Do This Anymore" by Pile are haunting and evoke a sense of melancholy. The song tells the story of someone who is struggling in a relationship and is torn between staying and leaving. The first verse describes a situation where the dogs are barking and then there's a sudden release and silence. This could represent a metaphor for a fight between partners that leads to emotional exhaustion and even a temporary truce. The singer then pretends to sleep because they don't want to confront the situation. They would rather be on the ground than in the bed with their partner. This could represent a desire for separation or a rejection of intimacy in the relationship.
The next verse describes a deep well that seems mostly empty, and the singer stares helplessly at its bottom. This could be a metaphor for the emptiness they feel in the relationship, and the sense of being stuck with no way out. They then pretend to be alone because they feel that they cannot connect with their partner. The last lines of the song talk about sleeping on the ground or staying up instead of being in the bed with their partner. This could represent a desire for independence or a need to be away from the difficulties in the relationship.
Overall, the song speaks to the complex nature of intimate relationships and the internal struggle that can come with them. It conveys a sense of vulnerability and desperation that many people may relate to when facing relationship problems.
Line by Line Meaning
I can hear the barking of dogs surrounding their bed
The sounds of chaos and distress are present in the space where others seek rest and comfort.
I hear the release and then silence
There is a sense of relief followed by a haunting stillness.
And then I pretend to sleep
The only escape is to pretend and retreat into a world of one's own mind.
I'd rather on the ground than in your bed
The physical proximity to another brings discomfort and discomfort outweighs the benefits of closeness.
I'll sleep on the ground or stay up instead
The alternative to forced intimacy is finding solitude or staying awake, despite the cost to one's body and mind.
There's a deep well that seems mostly empty
There is a void within, a place of great depth that feels unfulfilled and lacking.
I stand at its edge and stare down helplessly
Despite noticing the emptiness, the individual remains stuck in their position, unable to fill the void.
Then I pretend to be alone
In order to cope with the sense of aloneness, they deliberately create an illusionary sense of solitude.
Stink and sweat and moan and dream of new air
The only release is through the physical manifestation of discomfort, along with the yearning for a different reality.
Contributed by Joshua D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
BDE
Closest I've got to the lyrics after innumerable headphone listens:
At 3am and hold day away
Weight for the bones til they break
Push and scratch my eyes
Til its on tv again
And they turn it on again
Slumbering, why, my only God
I'm on my knees and I'm just holding on
I perceive no heaven on the horizon
And your eyes.
Dillon
Not 100% sure but I think it might be -
At 3 every morning
They wake with a bruise on their brain
Push and scratch their eyes
Til it's all old TVs again
And they’re tired of it
Floating above my own body now
Among the leaves that now just hold me down
(I think I'm empty but I'll get back in somehow)
Nico Lobos
i can't express how beautiful this song is, thank you for everything rick
Painted Battletoads
Fantastic work from Rick as always, but the cinematography really elevates it. Can't wait for the full album
aaa aaa
what a legendary performance.
Dillon
Incredible work. Had this on repeat all week.
Mike Tomlinson
Rick! We need more of this!!!
I can’t stop watching!!! 😍
Disgruntled Fan
What a beautiful song. Thank you for this
ok_logan
Love this song so much. Got me through the summer. Please keep making music
Plane Joe
Really lovely, and very well executed. Cheers : )
S D
What a beautiful song! I discovered it on Spotify. Hope you come to Germany soon!
Wessel van der Spek
Amazing! Had no idea this was a one man one take performance.