Pile is an American indie rock band from Boston, Massachusetts. Starting as the solo act of Rick Maguire in the late 2000s, Pile has been a collective since the release of Magic Isn't Real in 2010. To date, Pile has released eight full-length albums. In recent years the band has gained increasing popularity, becoming a prominent part of the Boston indie rock scene and frequently touring through both the US and Europe. While remaining outside of the mainstream, the band has been repeatedly recognized for captivating a particularly enthusiastic and dedicated fan base. Their sound has been described by The Village Voice as a "distinct blend of melted guitars" with "howling-wolf vocals and shred-free guitar harmonies". Sunshine and Balance Beams, Pile’s ninth album, alchemizes metaphors with its title. The first: finding happiness in nature and oneself. Second: the woozy posture one must strike to stay afloat in commercial society. These concepts seem antithetical, “But they might actually be the same thing,” hints guitarist, songwriter and singer Maguire. On its newest record, Pile weaves a Sisyphean fable concerned with labor and living. “The fulfillment I receive from pursuing art has been a guiding force for me,” says Maguire. “But it can be damaging when that pursuit teases capitalist expectations of where you might be able to go, and then doesn’t square with the reality that follows.” Their accomplishments are numerous, but the bandmates’ lives extend outside the tour van. “I’ve had to do a lot of unlearning when it comes to the ego-trap of capitalism,” he admits. “Money and recognition are helpful tools, but the pursuit of those things for their own sake is somebody else’s idea.”