For this interview, we sit down with *Bury The Pines*, a dynamic band blending influences from 2000s emo, pop-punk, post-hardcore, and math rock. Hailing from Cleveland, Ohio, this group of long-time friends is making waves with their latest single, “Destiny,” inspired by the popular video game *Kingdom Hearts*. With its energetic sound and heartfelt lyrics about reuniting with a lost loved one, the song showcases the band’s ability to channel raw emotion into a powerful listening experience.
Recorded, mixed, and mastered by band member Evan Hendrix, “Destiny” stands out with its playful yet intricate instrumentals, positive energy, and epic storytelling. As the band prepares for the release of their upcoming EP, they reflect on their journey so far, their inspirations, and the growing momentum behind their music. Join us as we dive deeper into the story behind *Bury The Pines* and their bold new single.
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Let’s start with the basics – can you introduce the members of Bury The Pines and tell us a bit about how you all came together?We are Bury the Pines from the Cleveland/Akron area of Ohio. We say we are a little Emo & Pop Punk, a little Math Rock, a little Prog, and a little R&B. Swancore adjacent. The band consists of Joe Skowronski on Guitar, Mat Markuz on drums, Nick Fischer on Bass and vocals, Marcus Smith on lead vocals, and Evan Hendrix as our rhythm guitarist and Recording engineer.
Your new track “Destiny” just dropped. What’s the story behind this song?At its core, Destiny is about a journey to find a loved one. Lyrically it takes it a step further, and draws a lot of inspiration and themes from the game Kingdom Hearts.
How would you describe the sound of “Destiny” to someone who hasn’t heard it yet?It is definitely a journey! Instrumentally this song is probably the most all over the places in terms of its ups and downs. The split verses turn on a dime from vibey to full of energy. There’s a soft build up into one of the biggest outros we have. I think it would be be described as “tension and release”.
Did you try anything new or experimental in the recording process for this track?The most experimental thing we did with this track was the intro. Live were usually on stage making a lot of amp noise with the kicks and bass doing the heartbeat thing. In the studio, Evan used that as inspiration for the track version and we think it came out very well!
How does “Destiny” fit into your overall discography? Is it a new direction for Bury The Pines?It’s not necessarily a different direction for the band, it fits in very well with the rest of our current discography, but we did want it to stand out a bit. The rest of our songs have some darker undertones and the instrumental feels a little more “emo”. In Destiny we wanted to keep it upbeat and draw from our pop-punk roots a little more, but still throw in a few things here and there that make it unique to us.
Can fans expect a full album or EP to follow “Destiny”?Yes! We are currently putting the finishing touches on the full EP that will be coming out within the next couple months. Our three singles will be on it, and an addition 3 songs that you’ll definitely recognize if you’ve seen our live show.
Who are some of your musical influences, and did any of them particularly inspire “Destiny”?So three of us are also in a pop punk tribute band. We definitely pulled a lot from our experience there in this track with the overall feeling of it. In the intro we also sprinkled in some Midwest emo with all of the tapping in the guitars and the end we channeled our more progressive rock side of things.
If “Destiny” was the soundtrack to a movie scene, what would be happening in that scene?This is one we get a lot actually! Most people’s first impression when they hear our music is that it sounds like “anime intro music”. That was never something we directly set out to do, but after hearing it a few times it made sense. This intro would definitely have a lot of running, a few quick cuts into fight scenes, and that one little section that seems like it’s about to get sad but ends triumphantly.
What’s been the most challenging part of creating and releasing music in the current music industry landscape?I’d say the most challenging part right now is just time. We have no shortage of aspirations and ideas that are ready to be new material, but we all are in a spot where we are working a lot of hours outside of the band, so when we come together we make sure we are as productive and efficient as possible so we are always moving forward.
Are there any plans for a music video or live performances to support “Destiny”?Definitely! We’re putting together some shows over the next couple months to support the release of the full EP before we get back into writing. We’ve tossed some music video ideas around, but those might be a little further down the road.
Lastly, if you could have fans take away one thing from listening to “Destiny”, what would it be? “Destiny” is our feel-good song, so we hope it has you feeling good by the end! And if you enjoyed it please check out our other music and follow us to stay up to date on the full EP release!
