Vine(yl) Club #12 - Washed Out
In the Spring of 2018, I took a trip to the Sonoma Coast by myself to find some clarity on a few things that were weighing heavily on me at the time. It was the first time I had spent a significant amount of time “alone” in quite a while. On my last night in Sonoma, my friend Jeff Bundschu (from Gundlach Bundschu Winery) was hosting a concert up at their winery and invited me to come check it out. It was with a band called Washed Out, and I was only familiar with them because of their song that was the lead-in track for the TV series “Portlandia”. Outside of that, I was unfamiliar with their body of work.
I arrived to the venue early to catch up with Jeff, and he was kind enough to introduce me to Ernest Greene, the mastermind that is Washed Out. Ernest and I chatted for a short time, and we realized we both went to school and grew up in Georgia. Ernest was a UGA alumni, and his musical career began in the dorms in Athens, GA. Washed Out quickly gained the attention of the underground Indie music crowd, and before long, he was a full-time touring musician, much to his own surprise. 6 albums and 2 EP’s later, Washed Out is a household name amongst the dream-pop and chillwave music lovers.
His experimental nature of making music using computers and synthesizers in his early days really hasn’t changed that much. He still writes at home, recording songs on his computer in a small barn in rural Georgia. He creates these beautiful landscapes of sound, as gentle as the rolling hills that surround his farm. Close your eyes, and you see pastel colors, the wind blowing in slow motion over the sea grasses of the Georgia coast. The warm tones of his vintage synths wash over you. In essence, it’s the perfect soundtrack for someone searching for clarity, just like I was on that trip. It was truly serendipitous that I happened to catch that show, because I walked away with a clear path forward, and in some ways, I have Ernest to thank for that.
His latest release came out on our favorite record label, Sub Pop, and the amazing team at SP was kind enough to peel off enough of their LOSER editions to take care of our amazing VINE(YL) Club members for our 12th release!! I recommend a set of headphones, a bottle of the Psychedelic Syrah, and a sunset view to set the mood. I can almost guarantee that you’ll come away with a lower heartrate, a smile on your face, and hopefully, a new lease on life. Enjoy!!
VIVA VINE(YL)!
Trey and the entire team at Sleight of Hand
