Dave Baine(guitar&keys), Joe Bourdet(guitar&slide), David Burden(harmonica),Brian Filosa(bass guitar),Joe Zabielski(drums)
The seed that became Whispering Pines began with the mutual friendship between Joe Bourdet, Brian Filosa and David “Willie” Baine. All three Los Angeles based musicians began playing together in 2006 on various projects and sessions. Notably, all three played, for a time, with the songwriter /producer Jonathan Wilson. It was while playing with Wilson that Brian Filosa suggested Whispering Pines as the name of their combo. It was an Idea taken from the title of the most beautiful song by one of rock and roll’s tragic and beautiful legends, ‘The Band’s Richard Manuel. The name appealed to their deep love for the music of ‘The Band’, the musicians they influenced (too numerous to list), and what might be seen as the musical movement that they created. This movement, in the eyes of Filosa, Bourdet, and Baine, consciously looked backwards to the past to find a musical way forward. Whispering Pines didn't, however, want to make a forced update of the music these artists pioneered, rather, they wanted to mark that sound as a starting point from which their own musical progression would come naturally and honestly. Their ambition has became to stand amongst these heroes and add to that collective body of music with reverence and vision. Although the idea that would become the Whispering Pines was planted, It wouldn’t take form for some time. Jonathan Wilson’s combo was dissolved by 07’ and the three players went their separate ways for a few years, occasionally playing together, and nurturing a desire to collaborate. The catalyst for the bands ultimate formation came with the addition of drummer/percussionist Joe Zabielski, whom Joe Bourdet had played with in the interim and in whom had found like minded music principles, and singer/blues harpist/multi-instrumentalist/visual artist David Burden, a high-school friend of Dave Baine’s who brought a multitude of talents to the band both artistically and organizationally. This lineup now featured four singers and four songwriters, each singing lead on his own compositions. The band hit the ground running.
'Family Tree' sessions at New Monkey Studios, Jason'Badajam' Soda on the board!
By the summer of 2008, the Whispering Pines were now established as a local rock attraction in the small Los Angeles community of Echo Park. A place with a subtle rock and roll pedigree of its own, Echo Park has been sung about by Warren Zevon, Jackson Browne, and Steve Young, inhabited by future ‘Eagles’, and frequented by Gram Parsons. Whispering Pines found it a suitable environment in which to dig into their music and that they did, coming up with a sizable amount of original material in a short amount of time. After a few months of ‘wood shedding’ in their small studio, David Burden made arrangements with his friend, musician/producer Jason Soda to record the band. They went into the late singer/songwriter Elliot Smith’s resurrected Van Nuys CA. recording studio and cut a full length album. Prior to these sessions which would ultimately produce their debut album “Family Tree”, a decision was made by the Whispering Pines that the recording should be done in the style and with the equipment of the music from which they took inspiration. Jason Soda’s production and Elliot Smith’s studio were perfectly suited to give them just that.
Everything was recorded using vintage tape machines through a 1970 Trident ‘A’ console (only thirteen of these legendary consoles exist). Every effort was made for the recording process to remain analog. In addition, the band played together, in one room, live, on as much of the record as possible. In this way, the group tried to capture some of the more elusive and intangible elements that they heard in their favorite records but had frequently found lacking in modern music and recording techniques. With their self-released debut album out now for only a scant three months (at the time of this writing) Whispering Pines are already work-shopping another group of original
songs for a follow up album. Stay Tuned.
songs for a follow up album. Stay Tuned.