Blind Pilot: “We Are The Tide”
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
What does a young touring band do to combat rising gas prices? Embark on a bike tour, of course. Make that two bike tours by the Portland, Oregon band Blind Pilot. In 2006 and again in 2008, the group pedaled their way from Canada to California, hauling their gear on bike trailers. It was documented in the film Get It Out, and since then the group has earned repeated critical acclaim–though more for their music than their means of transportation.
Their debut album 3 Rounds And A Sound called to mind many of their folk-rock peers, like fellow Pacific Northwesterners The Decemberists or the Shins. For album number two, the band added more members and more instruments to the mix. The result is We Are The Tide, a record that keeps the band’s folk roots at heart while expanding their sound with trumpets, vibraphone, and keyboards.
The album’s title track shows both the band’s love of nature and their modern appeal. Lead singer Israel Nebeker wrote the song during a lunar eclipse, but it sounds good any time. Recently, Blind Pilot stopped by Studio 1A for a live performance, and today’s song of the day comes from that session.
Podcast: Download (3.1MB)
