Sometimes, the only way to find yourself is by getting a little bit lost. Israel Nebeker—lead singer of the band Blind Pilot—experienced this first hand. The band came strongly upon the music scene in 2008, gaining particular media attention for their “bike tour” which brought them from Bellingham, Washington all the way to San Diego, California with nothing but their instruments and bicycles in tow.
Noteworthy activities like these—and two well-received albums—placed them in front of viewers of Last Call With Carson Daly, before audience members at Lollapalooza, and even all the way to Late Night with David Letterman where Dave mistakenly referred to the group as “Blind Spot.” It was a good time to be in an indie-folk band from Portland. However, after the release of their last album in 2016: radio silence. The band went on hiatus as they reconfigured their relationships, struggled with writing, and, of course, made it through that pesky pandemic where no one did much of anything.
However, after a trip to Scandinavia, Nebeker tapped into a well of creativity and inspiration leading him to write enough material for his first solo album and a brand new Blind Pilot record which has just been recently released, In the Shadow of the Holy Mountain. As they say, when it rains, it pours. So, join Israel and me as we dig into the long spiritual and creative journey he’s been on and how Blind Pilot regained their vision.
Evan Toth is a songwriter, professional musician, educator, radio host, avid record collector, and hi-fi aficionado. Toth hosts and produces The Evan Toth Show and TVD Radar on WFDU, 89.1 FM. Follow him at the usual social media places and visit his website.
