The Pinstripes | Powerhouse Live from Powerhouse Factories on Vimeo.
At Powerhouse, our roots in printmaking mean we’ve spent the better part of ten years turning our appreciation for music and culture into hand-pulled, limited edition rock posters. Now, we’re taking that appreciation beyond two-dimensional prints to a fully-dimensional experience with the release of our inaugural Powerhouse Live.
The above session featuring Cincinnati indie band, The Pinstripes, marks the first in a series of intimate, recorded video performances with touring musicians as they pass through the Tri-State region. The series of video performances will highlight an array of both local and national artists in stripped down, short sets recorded live inside our creative studio.
Check out The Pinstripes’ three song set above and a Q&A with the band below.
Q&A with The Pinstripes
Q: So who are The Pinstripes anyhow?
A: The Pinstripes is a group of guys looking to enjoy what they do. Namely, creating music and sharing that with others. We have an irrational fondness for old Jamaican music and culture and we like it when you dance.
Q: Your Bunbury Music Festival appearance is just around the corner, how does it feel to be playing that show in front of your hometown crowd here in Cincinnati?
A: Bunbury is probably one of the more higher profile festival shows we’ve done … maybe ever. We’re sharing a bill with some crazy names (like Cake, MGMT, etc.) so that in and of itself is pretty neat. But to do that in Cincinnati of all places makes it even more special. We’re honored to be a part of the festival, especially since there aren’t really any other acts doing what we’re doing.
Q: In the next year, what are you the most excited about for the band?
A: Well we have some recording projects we’re working on that are quite exciting, but probably still too early in development to really talk about them. Aside from that, we’ve got some tours brewing that should be really cool and I’m hoping that we finally get a music video out. I mean, seriously, we need to.
Q: This year marks your 10th anniversary as a band, which is quite the accomplishment in a music scene where few have the staying power that you’ve managed to cultivate. What’s your secret to The Pinstripes endurance throughout the years?
A: The secret is that we probably don’t know what else to do with our time. Aside from that, I guess maybe it would be that we’ve always had a group of people that has been dedicated to this group and to taking it seriously. We’ve gone through several lineup changes over the years, but we’ve managed to keep momentum going by staying focused and just not being lazy where others tend to be.
Q: When you reflect back on the past 10 years, what accomplishment as a group are you the most proud of?
A: Wow. It’s really a lot to think back on and hard to put down just one memory… I think the best way to state is this: It’s like the reverse of that phrase in Office Space when Peter says, “Ever since I started working every single day of my life has been worse than the day before it. So that means that every single day that you see me, that’s on the worst day of my life.”
And what I mean by that is this: Every year of that the Pinstripes has been around, we’ve had the proudest moment of our career. Like… in the early days, it was probably winning some of those High School Band Challenges we played in. Then it was putting out our first CD. Then getting to open up for some of our favorite bands here in Cincy. Then getting to go on our first tour. You get the point. Fast forward to this past year, we’ve gotten to do some of the craziest things yet, like getting invited to play at SXSW, touring California for the first time, playing in Canada, touring with one of the bands biggest influences and more.
Q: On the heels of your 2012 release of your third full-length album I, what’s your vision for the band moving forward for next 3, 5 or even 10 more years down the line?
A: Like I said before, we’ve got some ideas for new recording projects that are in the works, we just still need more time to move them along. We also just put out our first 7” single, which is a real treat, since so much of the music we love listening to was originally pressed on 45 RPM records way back in the way.
In addition to their upcoming Bunbury Music Festival appearance, The Pinstripes are on tour now. To see if they’re coming to a city near you, be sure to check out their website here.