Pile - Songs Known Together, Alone

Since 2006, Pile has been a unique force in the world of indie-rock. Started originally as Rick Maguire’s solo project, 2007’s Demonstration and parts of 2009’s Jerk Routine were the only pure documents of Pile’s era as a solo act. Since then, Maguire built a band of like-minded collaborators—the current lineup of which includes drummer Kris Kuss, guitarist Chappy Hull, and bassist Alex Molini—but Maguire’s songwriting and commitment to doing the work always remained at the center. Pile toured endlessly and released albums on a regular cycle, because the machine that is Pile can never stop, even when it seemingly would have been forced to.

“I’ve had the mentality from the outset of this project that we would have to write, release, and tour as much and as often as possible to gain traction and maintain momentum, and while I haven’t shaken that outlook entirely, I’ve utilized the past year and change to reflect on what the decade prior has meant to me. I’ve mostly avoided looking back, but this past year seemed like as good a time as any to do that,” said Maguire.

In 2020, Maguire set out to tour as a solo act, but with all touring plans cancelled, he still wanted to find a way to honor that intention. “This was an opportunity to revisit the format of performing alone but with material that has been fleshed out by the group. And while solo performances have been a part of the identity of the project throughout its existence, up until this record I hadn’t given it much studio attention in the past 12 years,” said Maguire.

Songs Known Together, Alone isn’t some stripped down, rock-songs-made-quiet kind of affair. Instead, it’s a chance to both see and hear Maguire recontextualize the history of the band he’s been so dedicated to building. “Initially, I felt strange about the idea of tracking previously released material,” said Maguire, “But I still believe in the songs and it was rewarding to explore them in other contexts. It then became an opportunity to use the studio to explore different sonic textures, I could dress the songs up in ways that renewed their relevance for me.”

Recorded with Kevin McMahon at Marcata Recording in New Paltz, New York, Songs Known Together, Alone is the result of three days in which Maguire tore apart songs from Pile’s 15-year career and reshaped them into something completely new. Recorded live and broken into two distinct sets, Maguire’s performances were filmed by Ryan Dight, Adam DePalma, and Joe Fernandes to give Songs Known Together, Alone a complementary visual component. “One day was the guitar and synth set, one day was the piano set, and one day was overdubs and general noise experimentation, some of which ended up on our improv/noise release In the Corners of a Sphere-Filled Room,” said Maguire. When experienced in full, Songs Known Together, Alone takes on the quality of a visual album, a live record, and a fresh experience all at once.

By digging through the material his former self had created, Maguire worked to find new meaning in each composition, both for himself and for the listener. While fans may recognize the shell of each song, what’s contained inside is something completely new: instrumentals have been given lyrics and new arrangements (“I Don’t Want to Do This Anymore”); throat-shredding rippers have been transformed into contemplative instrumentals (“Afraid of Home”); tracks that explored overlapping thematic ends have been pushed together and reconstituted (“Rope’s Length / My Employer”).

Out August 20 on Exploding In Sound, Songs Known Together, Alone is an exploration of what happens when a person’s life’s work is forced to shift, and all that’s left to do is reflect on what’s been built and what they wish to construct in the future. “The band is planning on tracking another full-length in October. This solo release was also a way to explore the studio and to deconstruct songs, which are two aims for the next full-band release,” adds Maguire. Pile’s history may already be written. That is, as long as Maguire doesn’t get another year off the road.