After signing to the independent record label Run for Cover, the group issued an anthology of their early work, titled Everything So Far. Their second studio album, Cardinal, represented a breakthrough, gathering a devoted fan listenership and appearing on many music critics' top-10 year-end lists. After recording its successor, Skylight, Pinegrove took a year-long hiatus after Hall was accused of sexual coercion by a person with whom he toured. The album saw proper release independently in 2018 and was followed by several sold-out tours. The band signed to British label Rough Trade for their next efforts, including Marigold and 11:11.
Pinegrove is known for their literary lyricism and loyal following of fans, which refer to themselves as "Pinenuts". The band's name comes from a prominent pine tree row on a nature reserve at Kenyon College, where Hall attended college. They are known for their geometric iconography, specifically using square shapes and usage of the ampersand (&) in artwork and merchandise. Pinegrove is also recognized for their alignment with progressive causes, including charitable contributions to civil rights organizations.
Pinegrove's sound has frequently been referred to as a mix between alt-country, an offshoot of modern country music, and emo, a rock genre characterized by an emphasis on emotional expression. The group has toured with acts commonly labeled emo, such as The World Is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die, while the original label RFC is known for its association with fourth-wave emo bands. Pelly of Pitchfork notes "this affiliation makes sense: Their music is open-hearted, communal, earnest, lyrical, with a discernible ease." Cardinal's success led tastemakers to include Pinegrove among a wave of "emo revival" acts, and while Hall stopped short of labeling the group, he acknowledged his work could be "lyrically confessional, emotionally direct, and emotive vocally, frequently." In response, Hall clarified the band's mission: "emo points inwards and it's our aim to point outwards." The group also has been categorized as indie rock, math rock, and Americana; Hall himself once described the band as the "midpoint between math rock and Americana."
Musically, Pinegrove augments the standard guitar/drums/bass lineup with instruments such as banjo and pedal steel guitar. The group's style has been compared to fusion genre fore-bearers the Weakerthans, as well as Wilco, Built to Spill, "Gillian Welch, and early Death Cab for Cutie." Hall has listed My Morning Jacket and Bon Iver among the band's more direct musical influences; an early profile of the band narrativizes Hall and Levine's love of My Morning Jacket's live album Okonokos as the catalyst for starting their music careers. For Hall as a songwriter, his influences are split between music and literature; he has cited artists such as Stephen Steinbrink and Phil Elverum as inspirations, as well as writers George Saunders, William Faulkner, and Virginia Woolf. To this end, Hall has referred to Pinegrove as "language-arts rock."
http://pinegrove.bandcamp.com/
Problems
Pinegrove Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
singin old songs
what if i waste my life up?
& all my problems
it's so stupid
they're not even problems
it was supposed to snow
& it did for a minute
or we could spend these years up
on the phone
but is that much better?
it was supposed to snow
but it didn't
so there's no excuses now
The song "Problems" by Pinegrove speaks to the internal struggles that we all face. The opening line, "this is how I spend my life up singin old songs," sets the tone for the rest of the song. The lyrics suggest that the singer is contemplating their life choices and wondering if they are wasting their time. The line "what if I waste my life up & all my problems" highlights this internal conflict. The singer recognizes that they may be wasting their life away, but also that their problems may not be major or relevant in the grand scheme of things.
The song speaks to the common human experience of feeling like they are missing out on something else, something that may be more meaningful, but feeling like they are trapped in their current situation. The line "but there's no distraction now" highlights this feeling of being stuck. The singer knows that they need to move forward and make the most of their current situation, but they struggle to find the motivation to do so.
Overall, "Problems" is a thoughtful and introspective song about the struggle to find meaning in life while grappling with the insecurities and anxieties that come with it.
Line by Line Meaning
this is how i spend my life up
This is how I occupy my time and live my life
singin old songs
I am singing old songs to pass the time
what if i waste my life up?
I am worried that I am wasting my life
& all my problems
All my worries and difficulties
it's so stupid
I realize that my worries are not significant
they're not even problems
I realize that my worries are insignificant
it was supposed to snow
I had anticipated the snowfall
& it did for a minute
It snowed for a brief period as I had hoped
but there's no distraction now
There is no longer anything to take my mind off my worries
or we could spend these years up
We could also be spending these years in a more constructive way
on the phone
Talking on the phone to someone else
but is that much better?
I am questioning whether that would be a better use of my time
it was supposed to snow
I had anticipated the snowfall
but it didn't
The snow did not occur as I had hoped
so there's no excuses now
I cannot use the snowfall as an excuse for not addressing my worries
Contributed by Grace O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@Coolnessman1
One of those bands that I'll always regret not seeing.
@bcb218
Hoping this is a signal flare to tell us y'all are still burning bright out there even without the shining star that is Zack.
Even if it isn't signs of the beginning of the next beginning, hope you all are doing well with whatever is keeping you busy these days.
@jadetemple
my fav song on the album
@KevinOnEarth_
Ditto
@christiangayle3558
same
@ULTIMATETAMA
Need 2 is my fav
@The_person_with_the_cats
โ@@ULTIMATETAMA same.... theirs something about that song that is just pure amazing
@dannyv_
this or need 2
@graysenspangler
Glad I expanded from just Need 2
@coltonhoeckendorf4469
Me when my problems are so stupid and theyโre not even problems