It has long been said that music has no boundaries, and if there is one artist chasing that idea it is Alex Pinto. The guitarist and composer embraces his Indian and American heritage, pulling influences from both places and beyond to craft thoughtful, atmospheric compositions. What’s striking is that Pinto’s sound is rooted in Southern blues above all else, but it’s also impossible to let your ears escape the compelling flourishes of Indian music and jazz that pepper his music.
All of this can be heard on Alex Pinto’s five-song EP Parkside, which comes out July 8th, and of which we are excited to offer a sneak preview of today with an exclusive advance stream.
Reflecting on Parkside, the guitarist says, “I had returned from India where I had spent the last 9 months on a Senior Nehru Fulbright Scholarship. It was incredibly hard transitioning back to the US. I felt like everything I had grown accustomed to was suddenly reverse or flipped on its head. I had to retreat into a space that I knew and that I trusted. Making this album helped me settle back into being who I am.”
Indeed, the five songs on Parkside do feel intensely personal (more on that below), despite being instrumental. While the influence of blues is unmistakable in Pinto’s sparse, airy playing, the music also brings to mind artists as diverse as Rafiq Bhatia, The Bad Plus and Wilco’s Nels Cline, especially on songs like “For Claude” and “Garage By Midnight”. Throughout Parkside there is a sense of calming and peace, or maybe a return to self as Pinto suggests in his previous comment.
Listen to Alex Pinto’s Parkside EP in full and read the artist’s own commentary on each track below:
“Parkside”
“Parkside” is for my wife. It’s a song stripped down to its essence. The melody and the drone keep the song super focused and clear yet for me its so joyful and full of emotion. Junior Kimbrough’s playing and music had taken over for me at the time and I think people will definitely catch on to his influence in this piece.
“For Claude”
“For Claude” is for Claude Debussy. His music amazes me. He created this new world of expression and thought that I connected with him immediately when I first heard his music. This song is about different spaces and textures while imagining what you think Claude would do in this situation?
“Garage by Midnight”
“Garage by Midnight” is inspired by San Francisco. I lived downtown for a few years and nights out when I had to drive somewhere typically involved a scene getting to wherever you wanted to go, then searching for parking for what felt like hours, enjoying the party, then having to race home to either drop the car off at a garage or circle all night looking for a spot. Car ownership makes no sense in San Francisco.
“Unconditional”
“Unconditional” is for my family. It’s a very simple song. I wanted to convey how grounding and powerful it feels to be connected to my family, whether we’re all in the same city or spread out around the world. It’s a song that allows me to just give myself to it.
“Loophead”
My wife had gone to Ireland on a trip and we took the advice of a friendly local to visit the Loop Head peninsula. You feel like you’re at the edge of the earth out there. There are these bluffs and massive waves that crash against the cliffs and it’s a mesmerizing scene of nature and beauty. I wanted to create a song that reminded me of our visit and lying down, peering out over the cliffs, watching wave after wave crashing and rising below us.
Alex Pinto’s Parkside EP is out July 8th. For more info visit alexpintoguitar.com.
