So what happened to Local Nothing?
Andre: Local Nothing was the band Pete, Adam and I started playing in while we were in high school. It was the first band that we all took seriously and really wanted to take somewhere. We were fortunate enough to make a lot of friends and even go on tour. Last January we had the opportunity to record in Alabama at Jackalope Studios with Andy from Hot Rod Circuit. It was amazing and the best learning experience we’ve all had. However, after recording we realized that the band was completely different from when we had started and although we were happy with the outcome, we knew it was time to let it go and move on. So when we moved in together in September of last year and met Jeff, we realized it was the right time to start a new band and use the experience and knowledge we had gained to start Pinsky.
Is it difficult to live with band mates? Do you get sick of each other?
Andre: After being friends for so long we definitely know how to get on one another’s nerves. Usually we try to avoid it but once in a while it does happen. Generally it’s over the next morning or when we sober up. At this point, living together has worked out for us. We have the opportunity to practice and do stuff for the band whenever we want.
Who writes your songs?
Jeff: Pete and I usually come together with riffs and rough demos that we’ve done individually. Then we’ll choose which ideas have the most promise and progressively work on that piece, building and adding parts to shape the structure of the song. Andre jumps in and helps us write lyrics and we finally work out all the kinks while rehearsing as a full band.
What are the songs about? What is the message of Pinsky?
Andre: The songs so far have been about relationships and the junctures and people in our lives. We take a lot of inspiration from our surroundings, movies, TV and anything else that has an effect on us. If we were to have a message to put across, it would just be the hope that people are able to enjoy themselves and life in general while listening to us on their stereo or at a show.
Do you ever wake in the wee hours because inspiration has hit?
Jeff: Sleep tends to be the only time we get to ourselves when not working on the band or our “nine to five” jobs, so when we pass out, we are OUT. But who’s to say our dreams of lollipops and unicorns don’t make their way into the bridge of our next song?
What’s the future look like for Pinsky in Portland?
Jeff: We hope to be playing out as much as possible and work our way into Boston and New York by the time school is back in session. We’ll most likely record a few more songs this summer and put out a 7-inch, possibly a split with another band. We’re also going down to New York to shoot a video for our song “Beverly” and then work out some sort of DVD release.