November 15th 2024.
Twisted Pine, a band hailing from Boston, has made a name for themselves with their unique take on covers. From Blondie to Scissor Sisters, Fleetwood Mac to Frank Zappa, they have managed to completely reimagine songs from a wide and unexpected range of artists. But don't be fooled, Twisted Pine is not just a cover band. They also infuse their own original music with the same level of enthusiasm and experimentalism.
In a recent interview with the Herald, flute player Anh Phung shared, "We'll take covers and interpret them in really interesting ways. But even when it's our own music, we're still doing that. We're always rearranging and changing and giving things room to morph." This approach is evident on their latest album, "Love Your Mind," where they have taken on the challenge of altering tracks that were already finely crafted and intricately produced.
The band originally emerged from Boston's Americana scene with a strong bluegrass influence. However, with each studio release, Twisted Pine has continued to expand their sound. Bassist Chris Sartori explained, "We love the studio as its own entity. We're a very elastic band. The energy of a live room is very different from the energy of a studio, but we try to fill each space as it wants to be filled."
Their latest album, "Love Your Mind," was co-produced by frequent collaborator Dan Cardinal at Dimension Sound in Boston. The result is a dynamic mix of genres, including reggae, funk, pop, folk, twang, and jazz. The band's use of effects and layering of instruments adds an extra level of depth to their sound. Lead singer and fiddle player Kathleen Parks' fiddle even gets a whammy pedal makeover on some tracks, while Phung's flute is sometimes looped through samples or slowed down to resemble a saxophone.
But what sets Twisted Pine apart is not just their sonic stylist shifts and studio flourishes, but the tightness, intelligence, polish, and passion of their music. Songs like "Chanel Perfume" evoke classic Motown and Stax soul vibes, while "Knockout Roses" has the magic of a country and western gem. Parks shared, "We want to record and write in this really big way that's supposed to reach as many people as it possibly can and as many different types of listeners as it possibly can."
Now that the album is out, Twisted Pine is ready to bring their stretched tunes to the live stage. As mandolin player Dan Bui put it, "There is a lot of room to explore these songs live. We are still seeing how they develop because they haven't been codified yet. We're still interpreting them live." And for fans of the band, this means that each performance will be a unique experience.
It's safe to say that Twisted Pine will continue to interpret and re-interpret the songs on "Love Your Mind" for years to come, always with their trademark enthusiasm and experimentalism. For those interested in catching them live, be sure to visit twistedpineband.com for tickets and details. With Twisted Pine, you never know what musical surprises and delights await.
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