Pile

Boston house shows

Pile began as the solo project of Rick Maguire, a home for songs that did not suit his band Hel Toro, and became a full band afterward; Stereogum says he started it in 2007 at 21, while the formation year is given as 2005 to 2009 by various outlets. Allston Pudding says Boston house shows were shut down by police more than a dozen times, and Great Scott was their main venue, with 30 to 50 shows. Demonstration (2007), Jerk Routine (2009) and Magic Isn't Real (2010) were self-released; they signed to Exploding in Sound in October 2011 as the label's first band, and Dripping (October 23, 2012) was the first on it. You're Better Than This (March 3, 2015) was recorded in about a week with Ben Brodin in Omaha, per WBUR. A Hairshirt of Purpose (March 31, 2017) followed, written mostly while Maguire lived in Ellijay, Georgia and toured solo in the South.

Matt Becker left in 2018, Chappy Hull and Alex Molini joined, Maguire moved to Nashville, and Green and Gray (May 3, 2019, 49:21) followed. All Fiction came in February 2023, recorded at Marcata Recording in upstate New York, and Sunshine and Balance Beams (August 15, 2025) on Sooper Records, recorded at Machines with Magnets in Pawtucket and mixed by Seth Manchester; Pitchfork gave it 7.9. They signed to Sooper on November 18, 2024. Live at Third Man Records (recorded April 16, 2017) and several archival live releases followed, and setlist.fm lists about 340 setlists. Sadie Dupuis of Speedy Ortiz said the band plays as one body with different organ systems all working in sync.