Feature / One Question Interviews
Pinned In Place

Words: Loren • October 17, 2017

Pinned In Place
Pinned In Place

Sean Arenas 

SPB: What song would you want played at your funeral? 

Sean: It took me a bit to decide what song because I don't want something totally depressing playing at my funeral.

So, I figured Tom Waits' "Anywhere I Lay My Head" perfectly combines both the downbeat and the upbeat. Waits' gravelly vocals and vagabond lyrics--"anywhere I lay my head, boys, I will call my home"--are supported by a mournful brass section, but then the ending erupts into New Orleans-style parade music. Perfect, man. Put me in the ground with that one playing.

 

Loren • October 17, 2017

Pinned In Place
Pinned In Place

Related features

Pinned in Place

One Question Interviews / What's That Noise? • April 2, 2021

Sean Arenas (Pinned in Place – guitar) SPB: What guitar do you play (and how did you choose it)? Arenas: I've only ever owned one electric guitar: my purple Fender Standard Telecaster, a Mexican model. I purchased it when I was nineteen from a sixteen-year-old kid in Temple City, Calif. … Read more

Related reviews

Pinned In Place

Rubbernecking at the Gates of Hell
Reflective Tapes (2018)

I’ve been debating how to describe this one for a while. Pinned in Place aren’t exactly happy campers, but compared to most of what I’ve been reviewing lately their music feels downright optimistic with the sunny guitar lines and harmonies that define their sound. That said, the record is named Rubbernecking at the Gates of Hell for a reason.The opening … Read more

Pinned In Place

Ghostwritten By
Razorcake (2016)

One (of many) differences between indie rock and punk is generally the sense of humor as it relates to self-awareness. Considering that other reviews namedrop Built to Spill frequently in the RIYL section for Pinned in Place, it’s a nice touch to start the record with the song “Built to Chill.” It’s both self-referential and a sweet name that describes … Read more

More from this section

Dromedary Records

One Question Interviews • March 3, 2026

Al (Dromedary Records) SPB: What keeps you interested in running a record label as time passes and your own life changes? What keeps you motivated? AL: I’ve been doing this for more than 30 years, and there have certainly been times where it slowed way down or I took breaks, … Read more

Ultrabomb

One Question Interviews • March 2, 2026

Greg Norton (Ultrabomb) SPB: Has the current political climate affected Ultrabomb and did it influence lyrical content? Norton: Yes, absolutely. I’d say 80% of the lyrics for this album were written last summer as Trump was rolling out his gestapo squads, and the media’s lack of response to accurately reporting.  Read more

Nonthewiser

One Question Interviews • February 27, 2026

Nic (Nonthewiser) SPB: What were your biggest takeaways from recording your EP Injustice For All? What did you learn and what would that change the process next time around? Nic: Recording Injustice For All taught us how important planning really is. Since we live in different cities, we record everything … Read more