“The songs are all kind of introspective, and they’re very much based on self-analysis, looking inward for better or worse.”
Jon Bindley is talking about three songs he just released with his band Bindley Hardware Co. on the appropriately named Solitaire EP. He says he let the songs marinate for a couple of years before heading into the studio with Pittsburgh producer extraordinaire Jake Hanner. He specifically chose to release them during winter, feeling that they fit the mood.
Beyond the band’s high-quality country and Americana songs, Bindley Hardware Co. is known for its monthly Honky Tonk Jukebox nights, a collaboration with others from the local, and sometimes national, country music scene. In a world where the lines between mainstream country and pop music have blurred perhaps to the point of indistinguishability, Bindley still finds a place for authentic storytelling.
Solitaire’s opener, “Future Tripping,” sharply details a feeling that most of us have experienced in our rapidly changing and disrupted world. “If you’ve ever had that night that you just lie awake and you can’t sleep and your mind’s racing and you’re thinking about things from years ago or things that might lie in wait, it can be very intoxicating and anxiety-inducing,” he says. “This song is about embracing that feeling and recognizing that all we have is the present moment and to not future trip too hard.”
Listen to WYEP evening mix host Liz Felix and CP music writer Jordan Snowden discuss indie music stories in Pittsburgh on What's New in Local Music with Liz and Jordan every Wednesday at 7 p.m. on 91.3FM.
