The Pine Hill Haints
The Pine Hill Haints are an American traditional bluegrass/folk/honky tonk/country band from Alabama, though the band members themselves describe their unique southern roots music as "Alabama Ghost Music."[1]
The Pine Hill Haints | |
|---|---|
 The Pine Hill Haints performing at Fred's in Loachapoka, Alabama. (Pictured from left: Kat Barrier, Ben Rhyne, Jamie Barrier, Matt Bakula) | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Auburn, Alabama |
| Genres | Folk |
| Years active | 1998–present |
| Labels | Arkam Records, Lelp, Sunburst, K |
| Members | Jamie Barrier Katie "Kat" Barrier Stevie LaBlanc Brian "Zero" Borden Justin Ward |
| Past members | Travis Hightower Matt Bakula Ben Rhyne Sarah Nelson Roger Holcombe Rymodee Bradley Williams Jeremy Dale Henderson Matt Comer |
| Website | http://www.thepinehillhaints.com/ |
The Haints are composed of Jamie Barrier on guitar and vocals, Katie "Kat" Barrier on mandolin, singing saw, and washboard, Stevie LaBlanc on washtub bass, Justin Ward on accordion and trombone, and Brian "Zero" Borden on snare drum.
Current line-up
- Jamie Barrier - vocals, guitar, fiddle, harmonica
- Katie "Kat" Barrier – washboard, mandolin, saw
- Matt Bakula - vocals, washtub, tenor banjo
- Stevie LaBlanc - washtub, banjo, harmonica
- Brian "Zero" Borden - snare
- Justin Ward - accordion, trombone
Former members
- Travis Hightower - washtub
- Matt Bakula - washtub, tenor banjo
- Ben Rhyne – snare
- Joey Barrier - banjo
- Sarah Nelson - accordion
- Roger Holcombe - snare
- Rymodee - saw
- Bradley Williams - washtub
- Jeremy Dale Henderson- snare
- Matt Comer- snare
- Mike Posey - accordion
- Jon Lucius - accordion
- J.R. Collins - snare
Musical style
The Pine Hill Haints perform music they consider to be "dead" in the modern world, hence their self-proclaimed "Ghost Music." Some examples of the genres they perform include (but are not limited to) gospel, rockabilly, rock and roll, celtic music, blues music, and bluegrass. While their catalog of songs comprises mainly original material, the band has also been known to cover traditional gospel (Where The Soul Of Man Never Dies, Where The Roses Never Fade), cowboy (I Ride An Old Paint, Back In The Saddle Again), and folk (Goodnight Irene, Oh! Suzanna/Camptown Races) songs.
In addition to their live instruments, the band also utilizes a number of traditional American folk music instruments (such as a fiddle, harmonica, tenor banjo, mandolin, saw, and accordion) on their recordings. Occasionally, members of the Haints will swap instruments or abandon his or her primary instrument altogether, instead performing on one of the aforementioned instruments for a song or two. The band has several former members, and depending on how many happen to be present at a performance, surprise guest performers may accompany the Haints onstage. Such impromptu reunion performances are not completely unexpected at their shows.
Discography
| Year | Title | Label | Format | Other information |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | God, the Devil and the Two by the Gate | Arkam Records | 12-inch LP | |
| 2002 | The Cold, Cold Hand | Arkam Records | CD | Split album with The Natchez Shakers ("The Devil's Backbone"). |
| 2002 | Tales From The Front Porch | Arkam Records | 12-inch LP | Split album with The Crypt Kickers and The Plain Clothes Creep String Trio. |
| 2002 | Alabama Ghost Country Music | Nation of Kids | 7-inch EP | |
| 2003 | Trains Have No Names | Arkam Records | CD | |
| 2003 | Split | Arkam Records | 7-inch EP | Split with David Dondero, 500 copies pressed on black vinyl. |
| 2004 | Those Who Wander | Arkam Records | CD | |
| 2004 | You Bury Your Hate In A Shallow Grave | Lelp Recordings | CD | |
| 2005 | The Pine Hill Haints Meet Clampitt, Gaddis & Buck | Lelp Recordings | CD | Split album with Clampitt Gaddis & Buck. |
| 2005 | Jack of Diamonds | Arkam Records | 7-inch EP | 500 copies pressed on black vinyl. |
| 2007 | Darktime Came to the Hills | Sunburst Records | 7-inch EP | 500 copies pressed on black vinyl with hand-screened covers |
| 2007 | Ghost Dance | K Records | 12-inch LP / CD | |
| 2009 | To Win or To Lose | K Records | 12-inch LP / CD | |
| 2009 | Riding the Long Southern Train Blues | Arkam Records | 7-inch EP | Included with Spidder #14 zine. |
| 2010 | Black Casket | Razorcake / 45RPM Records | 7-inch EP | 110 copies pressed on translucent red vinyl, the rest on black vinyl. |
| 2010 | Split | Let's Pretend Records | 7-inch EP | Split EP with the Trainwreck Riders. 110 copies pressed on clear vinyl, 440 copies pressed on black vinyl. |
| 2011 | The Evening Star | Arkam Records / 45RPM Records/Burger Records | 12-inch LP / CD / Cassette | Compilation album featuring songs from various Haints 7-inch EPs and previously unreleased tracks. LP and CD released on Arkam Records, cassette jointly released by 45RPM Records and Burger Records. Cassette edition limited to 250 hand-numbered copies. |
| 2011 | Welcome to the Midnight Opry | K Records | 12-inch LP / CD | |
| 2011 | Split | Ya Dig? Records | 10-inch EP / CD-R | Split EP with Serious Sam Barrett. Packaged together with CD-R of the Split. |
| 2011 | Tales of Crime | K Records | 7-inch EP | Release #138 in K Records' International Pop Underground 7-inch series |
| 2014 | Rabbit in the Pea Patch | Arkam Records | 7-inch EP | Hand-screened cover art available in three colors: red, green, and blue. |
| 2014 | Moon Pie | Arkam Records | CD | Contains songs from the Rabbit in the Pea Patch 7-inch, and the Fadeaways split 7-inch. |
| 2014 | Split | Snuffy Smiles / Arkam Records | 7-inch EP | Split EP with The Fadeaways |
| 2014 | The Magik Sounds of the Pine Hill Haints | K Records | 12-inch LP / CD / Cassette | |
| 2016 | The Cold, Cold Hand/The Devil's Backbone | Arkam Records | ||
| 2017 | Smoke | Arkam Records | 12-inch LP / CD | |
| 2020 | 13 | Arkam Records | 12-inch LP | |
| 2021 | The Song Companion of a Lonestar Cowboy | Single Lock Records |
See also
References
- Whitelock, Ed. "The Pine Hill Haints: The Magik Sounds of the Pine Hill Haints". popmatters.com. PopMatters. Retrieved 11 November 2014.