Goldpine is an Americana duo whose harmonious blend of distinct musical backgrounds has captivated audiences across the country. But before they became the celebrated touring act that they are today, their individual journeys led them to Nashville, and ultimately to each other. For Delmarva Public Media, I'm Jenny O'Connor.
Cassie Wilson grew up in Alabama, but at the ripe age of 19, decided to make a big leap.
“I really wanted a fresh start after losing my dad. So, I moved to Nashville to sing country music at the time. I didn't know one single person and I just was bound and determined to do music.”
And while Cassie was starting her music career in Nashville, Ben Wilson, who is the other half of her now duo Goldpine, was still rocking out in Minnesota. He moved there in his teen years to pursue audio production and intern at a recording studio, which was a dream inspired by his teen years and one of his first times in a studio.
“I kind of started music with the youth band that we started at church when I was a youth group high schooler. And that was my first experience with playing music live. We went into the studio for the first time. That studio experience was really influential to me, which started me wanting to do audio engineering as well as music.”
And only a few years later, he ended up moving to Nashville, nearly five years after Cassie had moved down, and at 24 and 25, due to some divine intervention, the two finally met.
“The same year I moved there, I met Cassie at a small church.”
Surprisingly, music wasn't the sole catalyst for their connection in the beginning.
“We did start singing on each other's stuff, some writers rounds and stuff like that, before we were married. But the duo didn't become until six or seven years into our marriage.”
And it wasn't until several years later that Goldpine truly began.
“I think the reason that we didn't become a duo at first is because we had quite different backgrounds in music. Cassie with, well, she grew up with quite a range of music, but she wanting to sing country music. And I didn't know anything about country music when I moved to Nashville.”
These vastly different musical backgrounds could have become a hindrance in their duo projects, but it actually became the foundation of their unique sound.
“We have different strengths, which make us complement one another beautifully.”
And soon they figured out that the two of them work in perfect harmony.
“We kind of write our songs to our harmonies too. Like, because the harmonies are like a tool in the fact that we could build a song with a harmony that a solo artist couldn't really do. Or we can be in a certain key and cover the whole range because we have two singers that can handle it.”
And their melded styles have created the perfect medium for not only creating great music, but a raw connection with their audience.
“We are really storytellers. The main thing about what we do is being able to connect with people through shared stories, struggles that are kind of universal to the human condition.”
And not only does it bring everyone together, it brings Goldpine together too, in very close quarters.
“We could not be on the road the way that we are without our tour van. We got a brand new Ram ProMaster and Ben is super handy and so he built it out and made it into a tiny home. So we spend a lot of time in this van. It makes it feel like a home away from home.”
The duo tours extensively, playing over 200 shows a year. They obviously love their live shows, as seen on their latest album.
“A lot of the tracks, pretty much all of them, were recorded during live shows last year. Because we wanted to capture the live show. The live show is what we do and what we specialize in.”
Goldpine is currently on tour of the Mid-Atlantic and will be performing at the Listening Booth in Lewis, Delaware on Friday, August 29th. You can also hear their new album on their website goldpinemusic.com or stream it on your their new album on their website goldpinemusic.com or stream it on your favorite streaming platform. For Delmarva Public Media, I'm Jenny O'Connor.
