23 September 2026 – King Pine Abandons the Stage Rulebook on Experimental EP Running Out Of Future

Austin songwriter James Hearne has released "Running Out Of Future" under his King Pine moniker, a six-song experiment in discovering what happens when a musician stops worrying about how on earth the record will be reproduced onstage later. After more than 1,200 live performances over the past five years, Hearne deliberately approached the new EP as a studio-first project, writing, arranging and performing almost everything himself before longtime collaborator Dave Drago added live drums.

The result pulls indie-psych-folk toward folktronica and experimental pop, with layered vocals, programmed rhythms, guitars, synths and production tricks receiving considerably more freedom than they would in a three-piece standing beneath sticky venue lights. Hearne cites songwriting influences including Paul Simon, Elliott Smith, Jason Isbell and Ani DiFranco, while the new production palette draws inspiration from The Postal Service, David Gray's "White Ladder", My Bloody Valentine and late-'80s and early-'90s pop.

Songs such as "Work To Do", "Still Be Friends" and "Tightrope" deal with connection, resilience, community and environmental anxiety. The title may suggest civilization has misplaced the instruction manual, but the music is less defeatist than curious. For somebody accustomed to making records with the next gig hovering over every arrangement decision, "Running Out Of Future" sounds like Hearne finally told the imaginary venue manager in his head to take the evening off.