PINES: Bringing the Summer Vibes
Ahead of their Laneway Festival appearance at Adelaide’s Bonython Park/Kaurna Yerta, we caught up with electronic duo PINES and got the lowdown on Laneway, touring America and their upcoming SUN EP.
Words by Tobias Handke
Image supplied
Adelaide electronic duo PINES are having a moment. After releasing their sophomore album, Life As We Know It, and embarking on a successful debut US headline tour last year, the lads have revealed they are heading back to the States for six shows in May.
Not only are they touring internationally, but PINES have been handpicked to take the stage at Laneway Festival Adelaide next month. Oh, did we mention they also have a cracker of a single doing the rounds, ‘Golden’, along with a new EP, SUN, arriving April 15?
Ahead of their performance at Laneway on Saturday, February 15 (tickets still available here), we got the chance to email a few questions to PINES to find out everything they have coming up in 2025.
Congratulations on scoring a spot on this year’s Laneway Festival Adelaide bill. You must be pumped to get the call and perform in front of your home crowd.
Yeah, we’re absolutely pumped to be honest. It’s been a while since we’ve played a show in Adelaide. Laneway is a festival we've loved for many years having been as punters numerous times. Laneway has always been a ‘tastemakers/music lovers’ festival so to be playing with some of our favourite artists at a summer festival is pretty much all we dream about - the fact that it’s in our hometown of Adelaide is a huge bonus.
What can fans expect from your live show?
Our live show has evolved massively in the last 18 months – our goal is to take fans on a journey from beginning to end. You’ll hear some of our older stuff, some of our latest stuff and a few surprises thrown in for good measure.
For us, the real magic happens in those in-between moments where we’re blending sounds we’ve created over the years and shaping something new – creating ‘moments’ for the crowd to experience and get lost in. Across our sets we like to touch on a few different vibes – different tempos, different beats – but it’s all our own material. We’re thrilled to be at a point now where we feel our catalogue is strong enough to put together a solid set that we love playing and that we think people will love hearing.
What acts are you looking forward to seeing on the day?
For us, Bicep’s Chroma show is the pick of the day. We’re huge fans and it’s been on our radar since their last appearance in Adelaide at Wildlands. We’re also keen on catching Barry Can’t Swim, having watched him rise rapidly over the last couple of years.
2024 was a massive year in the world of PINES. You embarked on your first headline tour of the States and just announced another US tour kicking off in May. What were those initial gigs like and how excited are you to get back to the States later this year?
That’s right, last February we did our first-ever proper international tour to promote Life As We Know It, our most recent album. We played seven dates across North America – Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Denver, Chicago and New York – and Toronto up in Canada.
That tour was incredible. It had been a long time coming. Between sorting out US visas, taking on new management, building out the lighting and production and being as self-sufficient as possible, it took a while to make it happen. But finally getting over there, playing proper shows in those cities, meeting fans, performing our music, signing records and just contributing something positive to the world — it was a dream come true for us.
Having worked so hard over the years this was the first real moment where we saw that we could actually make it work on an international level, beyond showcase sets like we’d previously performed. Each of the gigs was electric and for us, one of the best parts was just meeting people – people who love music and who are excited about what we’re doing. Sharing those moments, hanging out after shows, connecting with fans on the road – that’s what really made it special.
This year, we’re so excited to be heading back with our Chase The Sun tour in May (tickets on sale now via pinesmusic.com). We’re hitting Denver for two nights back to back, having sold out our gig there last year. We’ll also be hitting LA, New York, Chicago and Seattle on this run.
READ MORE: Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers: I Love You, Say It Back
PINES also released your sophomore album, Life As We Know It. Tell us about the making of the album and what went into it.
Life As We Know It had a long gestation period for a number of reasons so it became a labour of love and a body of work that we’re incredibly proud of. We’ve always felt like we’re learning ‘music’ and the music industry on the run and this album allowed us to develop as producers and as songwriters and forge new ground and new relationships whilst showcasing sides of our music we hadn’t yet explored.
What do you hope people take away from the album after giving it a spin?
We tried to craft this album in a way that tells a story and takes the listener on a journey. Being ‘album guys’ at heart, we've curated the tracklisting with the intention of it being a ‘start to finish’ listen – this is always important to us, whether on a record or at our gigs. Our hope is for the listener to find their own moments, letting the songs and the soundscapes talk to them and stir some kind of emotional response and connection.
You’ve also released your first single for 2025, ‘Golden’, featuring Amber Elle on vocals. What’s the inspiration for the song and how did it come about?
‘Golden’ was a bit of an outlier in the best way. We received a demo vocal from Amber Elle, a Canadian vocalist, and the moment we heard it — just raw vocals and simple piano chords — we knew it had something special. Straight away we had a vision for it, where it needed to go and how to bring it into our world. So we built everything around her voice - the music, the drum programming, the melodies etc – until it became what it is now. We’re absolutely thrilled with how it turned out. Amber’s vocals are stunning, and the whole track fits perfectly with this next chapter of music.
PINES’ next major release is the SUN EP. What can fans expect?
The SUN EP is really us tapping into a sense of nostalgia – those emotions that first drew us into making music. Sonically, it’s got that bright, big, summery, outdoor feel, inspired by bands like Passion Pit and that 2010 indie-electronic vibe, but with our own PINES spin on it. We wanted to capture those feelings in a fresh way while also speeding up our creative process – getting new music out faster, keeping things exciting for us and making sure fans don’t have to wait too long to hear what we’re working on. That’s a big reason why we’ve gone with an EP this time – something small but strong, ready to take on the road and share with people sooner.
Expect more of that sunshine-filled, ethereal-but-danceable vibe, with moments of sampling woven in — not crate-digging exactly, but playing with textures in a way that adds depth to the sound. Ultimately, we’re always chasing that emotional connection, and this EP leans into themes of nostalgia, connection, and memory.
Sum PINES up in three words.
Sun. Music. Life.
Catch PINES at Laneway Festival Adelaide on Saturday, February 15. The SUN EP drops on April 15. For full North American tour details, visit pinesmusic.com.
