Racing Mount Pleasant
Racing Mount Pleasant | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Kingfisher |
| Origin | Ann Arbor, Michigan, US |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 2022–present |
| Labels | R&R[1] |
| Members |
|
| Past members |
|
| Website | racingmountpleasant |
Racing Mount Pleasant (formerly Kingfisher) are an indie band from Ann Arbor, Michigan. After forming under the name Kingfisher at the University of Michigan, they released their debut album Grip Your Fist, I'm Heaven Bound in November 2022. In 2025, they changed their name to Racing Mount Pleasant and released a self-titled album. Their musical style has been compared to bands such as Bon Iver, Lord Huron, and Black Country, New Road.
Career
[edit]Racing Mount Pleasant started as Kingfisher in 2022,[2] after saxophonist Samuel Uribe Botero and vocalist Sam DuBose began collaborating on music.[3] The band released their debut album Grip Your Fist, I'm Heaven Bound on November 11, 2022; The Michigan Daily described it as "outstanding" and "a remarkably mature album".[2] At the time, the band was composed of eight musicians,[2] as well as two visual artists and two photographers.[4] All twelve members were students at the University of Michigan.[4] By June 2023, the band had become a seven-piece, plus three visual artists.[5]
On April 9, 2025, the band changed its name from Kingfisher to Racing Mount Pleasant.[6] The inspiration for the name was a highway exit near Chicago that read "Racine Mount Pleasant".[7] On the same day as the name change, they also released the single "Call It Easy".[6][8] On May 9, they released the self-titled single "Racing Mount Pleasant"[1] - written before the band's name change[7] - and announced their first album under their new name, to be released on the record label R&R.[1] They released the single "Your New Place" on July 11, also announcing that the album would be self-titled and released on August 15.[9]
Racing Mount Pleasant's second album, Racing Mount Pleasant, was released on August 15, 2025. It was recorded over the course of three years, in more than six different spaces and studios.[7] The band stated that they had five more songs already written by the time the album was released, and that they aimed to write a film soundtrack in the future.[7]
Racing Mount Pleasant's live shows are often bespoke to each venue, using projectors synced to the music and sometimes telling the audience to sit instead of stand[4] in order to "command attention in a way that [doesn't] ask for much".[5] Their performances have been praised for their intimacy, immersion, and detail.[4][10][6] In 2025, they opened a concert for Cameron Winter,[6][1] and will open for Geese on their Getting Killed tour.[11]
Musical style
[edit]Racing Mount Pleasant have been compared to many other artists, including Lord Huron,[2] Bon Iver,[5] Black Country, New Road,[12][1] and Explosions in the Sky.[1] Their musical style has been variously described as indie folk,[3] chamber pop,[6] Midwest emo,[13] and garage rock.[1] According to Arts Around Ann Arbor, their sound combines "the intimacy of folk music, the dynamics of shoegaze, the details of electronica, and the arrangements of jazz and classical crossovers."[5]
Members
[edit]Current members
[edit]As of 15 August 2025[update].[7][5]
- Sam DuBose – vocals, guitar
- Callum Roberts – trumpet
- Connor Hoyt – alto saxophone
- Samuel Uribe Botero – tenor saxophone
- Kaysen Chown – strings
- Tyler Thenstedt – bass, vocals
- Casey Cheatham – drums, vocals
Past members
[edit]- Ben Wood - guitar[4]
Visual artists
[edit]As of 28 June 2023[update].[5]
- Gabby Mack
- Gray Snyder
- Sky Christoph
Discography
[edit]Albums
[edit]- Grip Your Fist, I'm Heaven Bound (2022)[2]
- Racing Mount Pleasant (2025)[7]
Singles
[edit]- "Snowing, all at once" (2022)[14]
- "Regulate" (2022)[14]
- "Holy Hell" (2022)[14]
- "Do You Think I'm Pretty" (2022)[14]
- "Call It Easy" (2025)[6]
- "Racing Mount Pleasant" (2025)[1]
- "Your New Place" (2025)[9]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h Farrell, Margaret (May 9, 2025). "Racing Mount Pleasant Share New Single "Racing Mount Pleasant"". Stereogum. Retrieved June 7, 2025.
- ^ a b c d e Moeser, Jack (November 11, 2022). "Ann Arbor based band Kingfisher dazzles with debut album". The Michigan Daily. Retrieved June 7, 2025.
- ^ a b Tucker, Grace (April 2, 2023). "Meet the University of Michigan students who play in Ann Arbor's music scene". Mlive. Retrieved June 7, 2025.
- ^ a b c d e Medintz, Joshua (November 14, 2022). "Kingfisher — more than just the new band on campus". The Michigan Daily. Retrieved June 7, 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f Hall, Ally (June 28, 2023). "Just like "Heaven": Kingfisher's confident and inventive widescreen debut LP balances intimate vocals and expansive instrumentation". Arts Around Ann Arbor. Retrieved June 7, 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f Hardman, Neville (April 9, 2025). "Hear Racing Mount Pleasant's spellbinding debut single "Call It Easy"". Alternative Press Magazine. Retrieved June 7, 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f Farrell, Margaret (August 15, 2025). "Band To Watch: Racing Mount Pleasant". Stereogum. Retrieved August 15, 2025.
- ^ Porter, Christopher (April 11, 2025). "Friday Five: French Ship, Racing Mount Pleasant, The Missing Cats, J-Classic, Sacha". Arts Around Ann Arbor. Retrieved June 7, 2025.
- ^ a b Farrell, Margaret (July 11, 2025). "Racing Mount Pleasant Announce Self-Titled Debut Album: Hear "Your New Place"". Stereogum. Retrieved July 11, 2025.
- ^ Lira, Carolyn (March 28, 2024). "Kingfisher takes the stage in Ann Arbor". The Michigan Daily. Retrieved June 7, 2025.
- ^ Hatfield, Amanda. "Geese announce fall tour with Racing Mount Pleasant and Dove Ellis". Alternative Press Magazine. Retrieved July 30, 2025.
- ^ Pappis, Konstantinos (May 9, 2025). "12 New Songs Out Today to Listen To: Miley Cyrus, Midwife, and More". Our Culture. Retrieved June 7, 2025.
- ^ "The 5 Best Songs Of The Week". Stereogum. May 16, 2025. Retrieved June 7, 2025.
- ^ a b c d "Racing Mount Pleasant". Spotify. Retrieved June 7, 2025.