El Pino & The Volunteers

From the ashes of a fistful of punk bands from the Rotterdam underground El Pino & the Volunteers arose. Partly inspired by the alt-country music David Pino had discovered during a stay in Canada. And partly because he'd already designed the sleeve of the first 7” for an art school assignment.

So David Pino started a new band, recruited a few like minded musicians and went from sweaty shows in thrashy bars to living rooms and roof tops in the summer. No crowds, just him and his volunteers. And perhaps a bottle of aged whiskey. Life was good.

Done with the decibels, from now on it’s busking in the streets. From city to shining city. Not necessarily wiser, but more skilled along the way. With the release of Molten City in 2006 the pace for El Pino & the Volunteers shifts into second gear. They win the prestigious Essent Award, are nominated for 3voor12’s ‘Album of the Year’, go on tour with renowned Dutch popband Johan and play sweltering shows at Lowlands, Paradiso, Metropolis and Oerol.

Time-out, on to act two. During spring and summer of 2009 El Pino & the Volunteers heads out to Katwijk aan Zee to work with seasoned producer Reyn Ouwehand and a fistful of guest musicians – amongst whom are Room Eleven’s Janne Schra and Kyteman violinist Sietse van Gorkom – on the recordings of the ‘ever tricky’ second album. From those recordings their sophomore effort ‘The Long-lost Art of Becoming Invisible’ ensued. A fitting second chapter in which the Americana flavored sound from Molten City makes way for experiment. An An album that fuses beauty, intensity, joy and misery in a heartbeat.