The Pineapple Thief Are Still Finding New Ways Forward

For more than two decades, The Pineapple Thief have built their identity around music that asks listeners to do more than simply press play. Their songs unfold gradually, shifting between quiet reflection and powerful crescendos, often taking unexpected turns along the way. At the center of it all is Bruce Soord, whose approach to songwriting has always been rooted in atmosphere and drama. For Soord, a great album is not simply a collection of individual tracks. It is an experience that takes the listener somewhere, allowing each song to contribute to a larger emotional journey.
That philosophy can be traced through the many influences that shaped Soord as a musician. Growing up in the late Eighties and early Nineties, he found himself drawn to the melodic side of Seventies progressive rock, particularly bands such as Supertramp and The Alan Parsons Project. As the Nineties arrived, his musical world expanded into grunge and alternative rock, with Smashing Pumpkins and Radiohead becoming important influences. Beck's Sea Change became another major reference point, particularly for its melancholy atmosphere, production and intricate string arrangements. His interests were never limited to rock, either. Seeing minimalist composer Steve Reich perform Music for 18 Musicians left a lasting impression, while his appreciation for Duran Duran showed another side of his musical taste, one that valued strong pop songwriting and visual identity.
That mixture of influences helps explain why The Pineapple Thief have developed such a distinctive sound. Their music can feel progressive without becoming overly technical, emotional without becoming predictable and expansive without losing its melodic core. Soord has always seemed more interested in following an idea wherever it leads than staying inside the boundaries of a particular genre.
The band's evolution took another major turn with the arrival of drummer Gavin Harrison. Known for his work with Porcupine Tree and his reputation as one of the most creative drummers in progressive music, Harrison brought an entirely different level of musicianship to the group. But perhaps more importantly, his presence changed the way Soord approached collaboration. After years of being heavily involved in controlling the band's creative direction, Soord decided to step back and let the musicians around him have more freedom. Instead of telling Harrison exactly what to play, he chose to see what would happen if he simply let him play.
That decision became an important part of The Pineapple Thief's sound. Harrison's drumming adds another dimension to the band's arrangements, bringing movement, tension and surprise to songs that are already built around atmosphere. Soord describes the experience as a major benefit to the band, and it is easy to understand why. When musicians are given the freedom to respond to one another, the music can begin to feel less like something constructed and more like something happening in real time.
That sense of movement is particularly apparent on Far and Wide. The album opens with “New World Order,” a track chosen because it immediately grabs the listener while establishing the thematic direction of the record. Soord explains that some of the other songs require more time and repeated listens, making the opening track an important entry point into the album. The sequencing was ultimately decided by the band toward the end of the writing process, when they could step back and hear the record as a complete work rather than simply a collection of songs.
One of the strongest examples of that approach comes with “Hold the Ashes,” a track that refuses to rush toward its biggest moment. Instead, the song gradually builds through its instrumentation and melody, allowing the listener to settle into the arrangement before the chorus finally arrives. In an era when songs are often expected to reveal their hooks almost immediately, The Pineapple Thief are comfortable taking their time. For Soord, the anticipation is part of the experience. When the payoff finally arrives, it carries more weight because the song has earned it.
That willingness to let a song develop is part of what makes The Pineapple Thief's music feel cinematic. Their arrangements are filled with moments that build tension before suddenly shifting direction, creating the kind of emotional lift that can make a song feel much larger than its individual parts. Soord has described this fascination with atmosphere and drama throughout his career, and it remains one of the defining qualities of the band's music.
His influences outside of the band tell a similar story. Soord's first concert was INXS, where he witnessed the effortless stage presence of Michael Hutchence. He still remembers Hutchence as the kind of frontman whose charisma seemed impossible to explain, someone who could command an audience simply by walking across a stage. He also points to Back to the Future as a soundtrack that stayed with him from his teenage years, particularly Huey Lewis and the News' “The Power of Love.” For Soord, the song is a reminder of how powerful a great bridge and layered harmonies can be.
Those seemingly unrelated influences all find their way into The Pineapple Thief in different forms. Sometimes it is the atmosphere of a record. Sometimes it is the structure of a song. Sometimes it is the performance itself. Rather than attempting to recreate the music that inspired him, Soord has absorbed those ideas and allowed them to become part of his own creative language.
With Far and Wide, that language continues to evolve. The Pineapple Thief are not abandoning the atmospheric, emotionally driven songwriting that has defined them, but they are continuing to give themselves room to experiment. After years of making music together, the band's strength seems to come not from trying to control every detail, but from knowing when to let the music take over.
That may ultimately be what keeps The Pineapple Thief moving forward. Their music has always been about the journey, but after more than two decades, they have become increasingly comfortable not knowing exactly where that journey will end. Far and Wide is another step into that unknown, an album built around atmosphere, musicianship and the simple idea that sometimes the most memorable moments are the ones you never saw coming.
The Pineapple Thief will release Far and Wide on October 9 and will head to the United States in November for a tour spanning cities including Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, New York, Chicago, Cleveland, St. Louis, Dallas, Denver, Phoenix, San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle and Portland before continuing into Canada.