Blind Pilot

Blind Pilot is an American indie folk band based in Portland, Oregon. It begins as a duo formed by Israel Nebeker and drummer Ryan Dobrowski, who meet as college students at the University of Oregon. The project takes shape after they spend a summer busking in Newquay, Cornwall, in England, where they play acoustic music on the street before turning the idea into a serious band.

Formation and early development

After their time in England, Nebeker and Dobrowski relocate in 2006 to the Pacific coast of Oregon, near Gearhart, where Nebeker grows up. They prepare songs in Astoria, Oregon, in the top floor of an old cannery overlooking the Columbia River mouth. The band takes its name from the river pilot boats that guide freight barges up the Columbia. Both early members are avid cyclists, and they begin touring by bicycle, travelling down the West Coast and playing wherever they can. Their first bike tour starts in Vancouver and ends in San Francisco after their bikes are stolen. They later tour by bicycle again, this time reaching San Diego.

Line-up

The group expands from the original duo to include Kati Claborn on banjo and dulcimer, Luke Ydstie on upright bass, Dave Jorgensen on trumpet and harmonium, and Ian Krist on vibraphone.

Releases and live profile

Blind Pilot releases its debut album, 3 Rounds and a Sound, on Expunged Records. Songs from the album include “The Story I Heard”, “Go On, Say It” and the title track. The record is described through the group’s live performances as intimate on record but more communal and celebratory on stage, with Nebeker’s voice supported by Claborn and Ydstie’s harmonies. The arrangements are rooted in folk and have chamber-music clarity alongside a rock performance feel.

Performances and recognition

The band appears on Carson Daly’s show, opens arena shows in England, and is selected as iTunes’ Single of the Week. It also performs at Lollapalooza, Sasquatch!, and Outside Lands, and opens for the Decemberists on selected dates. At the time described, the band tours nationally in support of 3 Rounds and a Sound, and it plans to continue using bicycle touring where possible.