With Y2K making a strong come back and the long-awaited return of ABBA, it goes without saying that we’re basking in all things nostalgic and five-piece Black Pines are getting the vibe with their new bluesy single “Chains”. Tapping into a rock-retro-tinged soundscape for their new single, the group go full throttle on the production, letting hard-hitting guitars and leading drums tell their story. Built around soaring textures and a bouncy bassline, the group venture outside their comfort zone for the release, and prove to us that the risk was worth taking.

Speaking on the release, the group said, “This was the first track we created after our debut 3 singles. It marks a somewhat noticeable creative swerve, and a change of attitude when it comes to our songwriting – likely motivated by our Covid-induced isolation. It’s more fun and less forgiving, and pushes Tom’s vocals to new heights.”

Speaking with us virtually, the group take us through their creative process and what they have in store for 2022.

Check out the new release below now and the interview…

Hey guys! How are you? How has this past year been?
It’s actually been a really exciting year for us – we’ve kept ourselves super busy writing, recording and rehearsing. This year also marked our debut show as Black Pines, as well as a string of follow up gigs to really hone our live campaign. Being lucky enough to play sold out shows across London and our home town reminded us all why we do this – and we really can’t thank the people that support us enough, it means everything.

How would you sum up 2021 in one word?
Odd… Though we’ve all struggled and been in dark places, the music has been somewhat of a shining light through it all, and I think that comes through in the new songs. I think for a lot of us, music is a kind of therapy.

This pandemic has affected a lot of people, do you think it’s affected your creativity?
Since we only formed in 2019, we weren’t as affected as more established touring artists. We certainly struggled at times, nothing beats being in the same room when it comes to writing, but I think it would be unfair to say we had it bad. My heart goes out to all the artists and crew that have struggled through the lack of live music – I really do pray it’s back for good. Aside from our own personal struggles with isolation, we found the pandemic as an opportunity to write and reflect more. We’re a really self-motivated band, we’re hungry for it and I think that’s so important in this industry, even more so with the shape of the world right now. It’s easy to lose yourself, but I think music has been our anchor.

How did you guys all meet and what sparked the interest?
Tom is Jake’s older cousin, and when both of them were in between projects, they began writing and developing what would later become Black Pines. We spanned a lot of different sounds in those early days of writing, and I’m sure some of those older demos will surface one day, but it wasn’t until we brought onboard Connor, Jamie and Kyle that things really started taking shape. We’ve all been friends for a long time, and I think that really helps with all the highs and lows expected along the way.

You’re from Essex, do you think your home town impacted your sound in anyway?
Growing up, Essex had a great music scene, which definitely nurtured our love for music and especially live music. I think it definitely impacted our passions and drive, but I’d say our sound isn’t tied down to a particular place or time. It’s forever developing and growing, and I think that’s what makes this band exciting – certainly for us anyway!

You’ve already seen huge success with singles “Heaven’s Son”, “Power” and “Hope”, have you felt a pressure at all yet?
We put a big pressure on ourselves naturally – we’re constantly wanting to raise the bar, and we feel like we’re just beginning to break through and turn some heads. I think it’s important to take stock of our achievements when they come and I feel super proud of what we’ve achieved already, and excited for the busy year ahead.

And now you’re back with “Chains”, talk us through your production process?
This was the first song we produced during the pandemic, so we had to be flexible in terms of how we worked. We began recording in a make-shift home studio – a small room in a small house in Walthamstow. Living in the house at the time were a handful of other musicians, but it served as the perfect setting for the track. After sessions, other artists and friends in the house would come in and listen to our mixes, and it just felt like a really creative and buzzing atmosphere – I think that definitely played a part in the songs feel. As lockdown rules changed, we finished the song at Strongroom studios, which has now become somewhat of a second home to us, and the birth place of our upcoming debut EP.

What do you want people to take away from your sound?
Our new songs mark a somewhat noticeable creative swerve, and a change of attitude when it comes to our songwriting. It’s more fun and less forgiving, and pushes Tom’s vocals to new heights. I want people to feel inspired and excited when they listen. We’re really proud of what we’re creating, and we hope it brings people as much joy as we had creating it.

Who would you say inspires you?
More recently we’ve really felt inspired by the likes of Royal Blood and Nothing But Thieves. I’m always amazed by how Rock can keep reinventing itself and growing.

What are you guys most excited for in 2022!
We’re really excited to finish and release our debut EP, as well as booking our first real tour. We’ve cut our teeth in the past year, and now we’re set on making 2022 full of high notes.