HAYDEN PEDIGO & CHAT PILE Are Working On A Collaborative LP

Hayden Pedigo first entered our radar with the 2021 LP, Letting Go. His debut release for the Mexican Summer label was a deeply affecting, instrumental guitar effort. In contrast, the cover art featured a painting of Hayden in black metal corpse paint, a long black wig, and all-white workwear juxtaposed with a large red semi-truck in the background. This ensemble was carried over into the video for the comforting and serene title track which saw the guitarist driving off into the desert to incinerate his worldly possessions in a massive bonfire. I wasn’t sure what the target demographic was for something like this, only that I am located firmly within it.

Some of his musical influences were immediately evident based on his finger-picking prowess, but there was clearly more to the Lubbock, Texas-based guitar wizard. As time went on, I would see unorthodox clips of Pedigo standing in a Walmart parking lots while donning black leather driving gloves, a lacy mesh button-up, and a chainmail coif on his head. Other times, he could be in a bolo-tie, a foil-covered cowboy hat, blouse and/or snowpants. The further you dig, you’ll find photos of him with figures ranging from Tim Heidecker, Tom Green, or Dr Demento to ambient pioneer William Basinski. Homeschooled in Amarillo, TX by his truckstop preacher father, Pedigo would later pay for a digital billboard ad urging filmmaker, Harmony Korine (Gummo, Spring Breakers) to visit the city and even find himself unexpectedly running for city council at the age of 24, as documented in the film, Kid Candidate.

Hayden‘s life continues to unfold in miraculous ways, having walked the runway for Gucci and collaborated with legends like fellow Lubbock resident, Terry Allen, and Faust drummer, Werner “Zappi” Diermaier. But despite all of his wildly varied interests, influences, and ventures, his latest announcement may still be one of the most exciting and unexpected yet.

According to a new post on his Instagram account, the 6-string virtuoso has, apparently, teamed up with Oklahoma‘s pummeling noise rock titans, Chat Pile for an upcoming full-length with a yet-to-be-determined release date. We’re not sure exactly how their seemingly disparate musical styles will intersect, but the assumption is that it will be something akin to Hayden‘s captivatingly beautiful, pastoral guitar work being engulfed by a caustic cyclone whirling up through a crack to the demonic underworld. Whatever the details, I’m expecting to love it. In the meantime, we’ll just have to get our fix by layering John Fahey and Robbie Basho over Scratch Acid, Melvins, and Unwound records, hoping that does the trick.

Band photo and following text are reposted from @Amarillohighway on Instagram.

Spent the past month working on a full length collab record with OKC legends @chatpileband! It was all done in person working in the same room. We are finishing final overdubs now, but I can confidently say I’ve never heard anything like this album. Apocalyptic western picking slammed through heavy riffs and maybe 90s Chicago post-rock even? ldk, don’t want to give too much away. Not sure when y’all will ever hear this record, but I’m very stoked with what we made.

Talk to y’all soon!