www.blindpilot.com

There's no shortage of angles to Blind Pilot’s story: the tours by bicycle, the sheer volume of iTunes downloads, the dizzying ride from relative obscurity to headlining a national club tour in less than a year. But the real story of Portland, Oregon's Blind Pilot is about the songs. Led by the acoustic guitar and gentle voice of songwriter Israel Nebeker, Blind Pilot’s heartfelt music is the sort that cultivates devotion among fans, that elicits sing-alongs at concerts, that inspires late- night mixtapes.

Portland is a city positively littered with folk-pop bands, but the sincerity and modesty of Blind Pilot's music stands out from the pack. Once heard, the gorgeously seductive songs are not easily shaken or forgotten, as more and more people are discovering. The band has performed on Carson Daly's show, has opened arena shows in England, has been selected as iTunes' Single of the Week—but these achievements belie the intimacy of the group’s music. After a busy summer that included the Lollapalooza, Sasquatch!, and Outside Lands festivals and a high-profile slot opening for fellow Portlanders the Decemberists on select dates, Blind Pilot is embarking on a national headlining tour to support their magnanimous debut, 3 Rounds and a Sound, released last year on Expunged Records. Initially a duo of Nebeker and drummer Ryan Dobrowski, the group now includes Kati Claborn on banjo and dulcimer, Luke Ydstie on upright bass, Dave Jorgensen on trumpet and harmonium, and Ian Krist on vibraphone.