The Lost Pines
Austin, Texas, United States | SELF
Music
Press
"The Pines' mix of high lonesome and Texas country influences comes across as authentic and precise. With Lloyd Maines in the producer's seat, Sweet Honey drips not one note out of place... Lost Pines play bluegrass with a certain ebullience that reflects their youth....Sweet Honey's only their second disc, but the Lost Pines already sound like veterans - Austin Chronicle
"This is pure bluegrass: no fusion of indie folk, no lo-fi regression to old-timey, just a showcase of instrumental picking and fine harmonies.You can drop the figurative needle down on just about any track on the disc and get the kind of flawless solos and interaction that require, no, compel you to start tapping your foot.The fiddle and mandolin interaction of Shawn Dean, Jon Kemppainen, and Alex Rueb, on several songs is a real joy.And the bass of Brian Durkin is a steady, ever-present foundation that by midway through the album has emerged as a key ingredient. All of that fine instrumental work staying at the right level no doubt owes a debt of gratitude to veteran producer Lloyd Maines. The Lost Pines wrote all their own songs on Sweet Honey. Add everything up and this is a band with a bright future. But more importantly, put all my blather and analysis aside and go to the heart of the matter. Hit play on almost any song on the album and I just dare you to sit still." - Twangville
"This is pure bluegrass: no fusion of indie folk, no lo-fi regression to old-timey, just a showcase of instrumental picking and fine harmonies.You can drop the figurative needle down on just about any track on the disc and get the kind of flawless solos and interaction that require, no, compel you to start tapping your foot.The fiddle and mandolin interaction of Shawn Dean, Jon Kemppainen, and Alex Rueb, on several songs is a real joy.And the bass of Brian Durkin is a steady, ever-present foundation that by midway through the album has emerged as a key ingredient. All of that fine instrumental work staying at the right level no doubt owes a debt of gratitude to veteran producer Lloyd Maines. The Lost Pines wrote all their own songs on Sweet Honey. Add everything up and this is a band with a bright future. But more importantly, put all my blather and analysis aside and go to the heart of the matter. Hit play on almost any song on the album and I just dare you to sit still." - Victory Music
Somewhere past old school bluegrass and not quite to newgrass, The Lost Pines second offering revisits sounds of the past firmly in the present without crossing the line to contemporary. I was reminded of the reaction I often get listening to a Tim O'Brien album....is that an original or is it a cover of an old tune I somehow missed? I can save you the trouble of checking on the songs on this album - all of them are original. Sweet Honey was produced by Lloyd Maines. Many reading this review will know Mr. Maines as a producer and legendary steel guitar player. He has produced and played with just about everyone in Texas (and elsewhere). The Lost Pines were so happy to get him to produce their album and play on it. One of the best tracks on the CD is Maybelee. I was also taken with Singing Voice. Christian Ward wrote the song and sings it for us, using his singing voice to announce that The Lost Pines will be figuring into the musical future, and not - No Dperession
Discography
Middle Of The Morning
Sweet Honey
Photos
Bio
One of the fastest rising groups on the Austin music scene, the Lost Pines took less than two years to go from busking on the street corners of South Congress to finishing runner up in the bluegrass category of the Austin Chronicles Annual Readers Poll. Taking their cues from such contemporary songwriters as Gillian Welch and Tim OBrien, they use the rich canon of traditional music as a launch pad, melding the themes of unrequited love, economic hardship, and wanderlust with the contemporary realities of city life. With a knack for balancing old with new, fiery picking with soulful vocals and respect for tradition with an eye towards the future, the Lost Pines create music that is both timely and timeless.
The group formed in early 2007 when songwriters Christian Ward and Talia Bryce met and began swapping songs around campfires and barbecues in the backyards of Austin. They were soon joined by Northwestern University School of Music graduate Marc Lionetti on guitar and released their first album, Middle of the Morning, in the spring of 2008. The record received a string of praise from critics and fans alike and led Doug Freeman of the Austin Chronicle to call the bands music Austin bluegrass done right. Riding the buzz from their new album, the band quickly went from playing street corners to appearances on FOX news, KUT, KGSR, KOOP and sets in at the Mulberry Mountain Harvest Festival, the Austin String Band Festival and were official showcase presenters at the 2008 Folk Alliance Conference. They began playing regularly at the Cactus Café, Antones, Threadgills, the Saxon Pub, and other top venues in Austin, sharing the stage with everyone from the Austin Lounge Lizards to Alan Munde. In the meantime, the band strengthened its attack by adding five-time Idaho State Champion Shawn Dean on fiddle and Austin standouts Brian Durkin on bass, Jon Kemppainen on fiddle and Alex Rueb on mandolin.
Barely two years into their career, the Lost Pines are already carving out a niche in the Texas bluegrass scene. With their astonishing musical maturity and an arsenal of well-crafted songs, the Lost Pines are poised to take their place among the giants of the Austin music scene, ensuring they will continue to treat audiences to their brand of traditional music for years to come.
In January 2011, the Lost Pines teamed up with Grammy Award winning producer Lloyd Maines (Dixie Chicks) to record their 2nd album Sweet Honey at the Zone Studio in Dripping Springs, TX. It was released on April 2nd, 2011 and instantly recieved critical acclaim from No Depression, Twangville, the Austin Chronicle as well as Folk and Bluegrass DJs across the US and Canada. The lively crowd on opening night of the 40th annual Kerrville Folk Festival (May 2011) also demanded that the Lost Pines play an encore after their stellar set, so they could keep dancing!.
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