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.
Prom Song
Pile Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She wondered why you came
Fold it up a couple times
And then use it for shade
Never asked to go and see through each day
Oooh dad
Why do i have to stay?
And i'm just a fish
I wanna go swimming
And it's making me itch
Now that everyone's gone
I locked em out of my home
And they're making friends outside
And i'm finally alone
Now that everyone's gone
I locked em out of my home
I've been aching friends outside
And i'm finally alone
The opening lines of Pile's Prom Song establish a sense of secrecy and distance from the world. The singer whispers something to their mother, who wonders why they came. This suggests that the singer may be at an event or gathering that they are not particularly invested in. The next line, "Fold it up a couple times and then use it for shade," is somewhat cryptic but could be interpreted as a metaphor for hiding or shielding oneself from the world. The singer then expresses a sense of resignation or defeat in the line, "Never asked to go and see through each day," which highlights their lack of agency and perhaps a sense of being trapped.
The second verse begins with the singer addressing their father, appealing to his sense of superiority and respectability: "You're an upstanding man / And i'm just a fish." The singer seems to feel like they don't belong or fit in with their family or community. They express a desire to go swimming, which could be interpreted as a metaphor for freedom or escape. The final lines of the song are a repetition of the chorus, but with a slight twist. The singer has locked everyone out of their home and finally has the solitude they've been craving. However, the line "I've been aching friends outside" suggests that despite their desire for isolation, they still feel a sense of longing for connection and companionship.
Overall, Prom Song is a deeply introspective and ambiguous track that highlights the complex emotions and struggles of the singer. The lyrics are open to interpretation and could be read as a commentary on adolescence, family dynamics, or mental health.
Line by Line Meaning
Whispered at your mum
I quietly talked with your mother
She wondered why you came
She was curious about your reason for coming
Fold it up a couple times
I folded it a few times
And then use it for shade
So I could use it to block the sunlight
Never asked to go and see through each day
I never requested to experience each day in such a way
Oooh dad
Oh father
Why do i have to stay?
Why do I have to remain here?
You're an upstanding man
You are an honorable man
And i'm just a fish
But I am insignificant
I wanna go swimming
I want to go for a swim
And it's making me itch
But the thought of it is causing me distress
Now that everyone's gone
Now that everyone has left
I locked em out of my home
I locked them out of my house
And they're making friends outside
And they have found new friends elsewhere
And i'm finally alone
And I am finally by myself
I've been aching friends outside
I have been wanting to find new friends elsewhere
Contributed by Layla R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Billy Brookes
Whispered at your mum
She wondered why you came
Fold it up a couple times
And then use it for shade
I never asked to go and see through each day
Oooh dad
Why do I have to stay?
You’re an upstanding man
And I’m just a fish
I want to go swimming
And it’s making me itch
Now that everyone’s gone
I locked 'em out of my home
And they’re making friends outside
And now I’m finally alone
Jack Jensen
What's it like going through life knowing that you've written the best guitar solo of all time?
MyEyes!TheGogglesDoNothing!
This is one of those songs that is so good I can't stop listening and know I will wear it out, but still can't stop
carryzero1
It doesn't wear out
thesumofparts
I'm not an english speaking person, American or otherwise, but this just makes me wanna say "fuck yeah!" Seriously, I utter these words aloud. At home. Alone.
arthur foxcakes
BEST GUITAR SOLO OF 2012 HANDS DOWN.
really lovely guys and such a hard working band.
LONG LIVE PILE!
Miha Strajnar
I think you should check Mass Of The Fermenting Dregs, the solos especially on the song Tantantan but also the album Zero Comma, Iro Toridori No Sekai have a similar vibe (and I even think both are from 2012 lol)
arthur foxcakes
@Miha Strajnar Thanks Miha, I will check those out for sure :)
Sr. Sacaninha
This is a great song. The melody teases and disappears... then comes back again.
hammies
great description, honestly
Daniel Piserchia
still one of my favorite solo riffs i've ever heard, was a blast seeing them play at my college probably a decade ago