When Bret Vogel needed a name for the collection of demos he was about to release, he picked the first words he saw on his shelf – a misreading of an Ursula LeGuin poetry title. At the time, his band Crosstide – a staple of the Portland indie scene – was shopping a new record and regrouping after their label’s collapse. Having toured across the U.S. and Canada, showcased for major labels, and shared stages with The Killers and Franz Ferdinand, Crosstide had momentum, but these songs didn’t fit. Encouraged by his Kiwi friends The Mint Chicks, Vogel decided to release the songs himself. Despite no label or promotion, Incredible Yacht Control found airplay in Portland and New Zealand, earned positive reviews (including a “Best of the Year” nod). Vogel filled out the live band with members of Crosstide and The Mint Chicks, and a string of self-released albums followed.
In 2013, Vogel stepped away from music and moved to New Zealand to focus on family and teaching. Aside from a brief stint as Kody Nielson’s saxophonist and an appearance at Rodney Fisher’s Kingsland Folk Club, he kept his songs to himself – until a backstage conversation at The Powerstation with his old friend Eric Howk (Portugal. The Man). “I don’t want to live in a universe without more Bret Vogel songs,” Howk joked. But it was enough to push Vogel to send a few songs to Home Alone Records for consideration.
The new album, pastor al, is a departure from the lo-fi jangle pop of early IYC. Built around Vogel’s intricate fingerpicking, it layers strings, glitchy atmospherics, and electronic flourishes. The title – another misreading – came from a friend’s text after hearing a demo: “I’m digging the pastoral vibe.”
