The Pine Hearts

he Pine Hearts are a stringband from Olympia, Washington. They are similar to many young artists in that they use banjo, mandolin, guitar and vocals to perform original songs. The band has varied musical roots. Joe Capoccia is the primary songwriter and guitarist. He has played in both Punk/Pop and Americana bands. Lob Strilla has written a trio of tunes and plays banjo. His background is in Bluegrass and Rock. The band is rounded out with Derek McSwain on Bluegrass inspired mandolin. All three members sing. - Sing Out

he Pine Hearts’ bio says, “Playing particularly upbeat original tunes, the Pine Hearts sing with sincerity and pick with deliberate dedication,” and it’s a great way to describe the band’s debut album, Distant Lights. The alt-bluegrass trio from Olympia, WA, has released a fun, high-energy collection of songs that showcases great writing and stellar musicianship. From the upbeat and catchy opener “Don’t Let the Stars Bring You Down” and the fast and frenetic “Somewhere Between” to the more lamenting “Virginia” and “Alright Fine,” this album makes you want to dance and sing as you contemplate the ups and downs of life and love.   - Fox Beard Music

Alternative bluegrass is everywhere lately, and one of the most recent additions to the subgenre is The Pine Hearts, a newly formed trio from Olympia, Washington. This group, which has been together for close to a year, offers listeners a catchy, peppy mixture of folk, indie, and jamgrass on its debut album, Distant Lights.

The album opens with Don’t Let the Stars Bring You Down, a positive tune which discusses nature and science, and suggests that we shouldn’t be bothered by things we can’t change and don’t understand. The song has a pleasant, cheerful sound with an interesting banjo solo in the middle. Paralyzed by Fate finds the singer lamenting the hesitancy he is encountering while trying to begin a relationship, with a chanted, toe-tapping chorus.

When It Comes to You offers another take on relationships. This familiar tale of someone who can’t let go of someone he knows is bad for him has a stripped-down arrangement. It’s also about as mournful as this album gets. Even Heartache or the Whiskey, which asks “Which is worse, being wrong or being alone?”, has a good-time feel, and it’s easy to imagine it as a crowd sing-along at a festival or bar.

Other tunes are more introspective, such as the subdued Alright Fine, which finds the narrator reflecting on a not-entirely-positive encounter during a relationship, and the more upbeat Somewhere Between, with its narration by a man who is working through difficulties in life. This tune is one of the album’s most enjoyable, and also has some of the grassiest banjo on the album. On Our Own also leans closer to the bluegrass side of things. - Bluegrass today