After being pulled over more than three times for speeding while driving through Indiana, Evan Stephens Hall and his band Pinegrove finally booked their first show in the state.
One of the times he was pulled over was in Bloomington, Hall said.
“It’s always a state we’re just going through,” he said. “That might determine the speed that I’m driving.”
The Montclair, New Jersey-based alt-country band is playing Friday at Uel Zing Coffee with Zula, !mindparade and Super Regal.
The band is currently touring on its way to South by Southwest, which will be its first time at the multiple-day festival.
After the festival, the band will embark on its second United States tour during which it will be opening for Into It. Over It., the World is a Beautiful Place & I am No Longer Afraid to Die and Sidekicks.
With this being their biggest tour to date, Hall said he and the other band members are excited to watch the other bands play for the next 31 days.
“I can’t wait to see them every night,” he said. “I think it’s going to be great. They all have highly terrific live reputations. I expect it to be really electric.”
Pinegrove released its latest album, “Cardinal,” in February via Run For Cover Records.
After putting out its first release in 2010, Hall said the band has developed into a rotating lineup of musicians. The exact lineup depends on availability.
Likewise, he said the recorded version of the band is often different from the live version.
“We want to play as many shows as possible, and that’s kind of a difficult commitment for people who have other stuff going on,” he said.
The album has received largely positive reviews, which Hall said has felt natural in the band’s progression.
“In a way, it feels like it was all accumulating and all kind of poised for this next step,” he said. “The press really helped it along. It’s really great to see a lot of people are really enjoying the record.”
Despite Run For Cover Records’ being known to sign bands of indie, emo and punk genres, Hall said Pinegrove’s alt-country sound and lyrical content fit in with other bands on the label.
“Even though it’s stylistically kind of a departure from a lot of what’s going on in DIY and emo, those fans might be responding because it is emotionally direct music,” he said.
Being friends with emo bands like Connecticut’s Sorority Noise also influenced the signing to Run For Cover, he said.
In order to stay sane on the road, Hall said his band spends time listening to new music, listening to podcasts and playing word games.
“We have a lot of drives to fill with all sorts of media,” he said.
Although touring can be exciting, Hall said the constant stimulation makes it a tiring experience.
However, he said the opportunity to spread his band’s message of universal kindness makes touring worthwhile.
“This is why we are traveling,” he said. “We want to bring what we do to as many people as possible. It means a lot to me and it’s really exciting and moving.”
