From the Basement to the Big Time: Land of Pines @ Noise for the Needy
By Nick Minnott
It might appear that Land of Pines burst on the Seattle Indie-pop scene overnight, but really it’s been an organic, steady growth. I first saw most of the band’s current lineup perform as Capitol Basement, while they were freshman at the Bush School.
Then, predominantly directed by Evan Easthope, whose style in those days resembled Eddie Vedder, the band sounded like what you would expect from their name: music you would hear in a high school basement.
Fast forward to today. Though the band members are not much older than high school age now, their sound has come a long way. The vocal dichotomy between Kessiah Gordon and Easthope creates a more pop friendly, danceable sound.
Through performing at local venues, Land of Pines has carved out a nice following as well as well as some early critical acclaim. During a live set, there isn’t a moment of downtime; they hop right into the next song. The music fits together seamlessly, and the length of time the band’s been playing together is reflected in the ease in which the songs flow.
Juggling between college and dimly lit bars, this former basement band is headed in the right direction.
In addition to playing Capitol Hill Block party this summer, Land of Pines will be featured in the lineup for Noise for the Needy, a local show contributing directly the Real Change project, benefiting the homeless and low-income of Seattle. Catch them on Sunday, June 12th at the Vera Project (theveraproject.org) along with Ramona Falls, Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band, and Kithkin.
Check out Land of Pines MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/landofpines
Noise for the Needy full line-up: http://www.ssgmusic.com/noise-for-the-needy-2011-lineup/