Rick Maguire has been releasing music – both solo and with a band – under the name Pile for over 10 years. Pile has toured hard since day one, gaining a cult following for their thoughtful lyrics and a sound that’s ever-evolving but uniquely theirs.

In this episode, Rick shares what makes their upcoming album, Green and Gray (out 5/3/19), different, his experience quitting and drinking and how it’s impacted his work, working on music full-time, being grateful for the journey and weird experiences along the way, the value of growing slowly, lessons in leading a band, and more.

Listen above or on iTunes or Spotify.

Show notes

In this episode, we talk about:

Nashville’s music scene and what it was like moving from Boston

forever learning how to navigate the music industry as he goes

being confident in his decisions and how he’s chosen to create things

looking retrospectively at his touring and musical history as Pile

learning to not have expectations as a band playing in a new place

being happy with his slower path to where he’s gotten and the wild experiences along the way

his experience quitting drinking and smoking

Pile’s new double LP Green and Gray out May 3rd and how it’s different from their past albums

why he feels better about this record now that it’s done compared to previous albums

what drives him to be constantly writing

being committed to music as his sole career and the difference that’s made in creating work

stepping up to the plate as band leader with two new members

the role nervousness plays in his lyrics

what drives him to make music despite the personal sacrifices he’s made

finding bandmates who want to live his art with him

his respect for Randy Newman’s lyrics and subject matter

Resources mentioned in this episode:

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