Jim Pellinger

Minneapolis-based singer-songwriter Jim Pellinger’s music charts a course set by his influences, the Beatles, first and foremost. But as a reviewer of his Knives & Bleeding EP noted, “His sound and method are that of, say, Tom Petty or maybe Elvis Costello albeit he sounds like neither.” Another reviewer of Jim’s first release, the cassette-only “All Dressed Up And All Stressed Out” heard “strains of John Hiatt, Squeeze, R.E.M., and a little bit of Simon and Garfunkel within Jim’s songs”.

Jim "discovered" his latest and tenth single, I Just Don't Wanna See You Right Now while searching through an old hard drive. "I had recorded this version of the song years ago and forgotten about it, then recorded a much jazzier and mellow version for the album Into The Blue. So this "rock" version is actually the original recording of the song, and I thought it was time for people to hear that version," says Jim.

As a live performer, Jim Pellinger has played colleges, clubs, coffeehouses, and festivals in the US and Central America. Performing solo on guitar, vocals, and live loops, Jim creates layers of sounds and vocal harmonies, and has a unique ability to relate to a crowd, often drawing the whole audience into his live “band” for a communal sing-along (or shout-along as the case may be).

He’s been an annual performer at the Minnesota State Fair since 2006, and he’s played Twin Cities venues such as The Fine Line, The Caboose, The Amsterdam Bar and Hall, among many others. Jim has also bee featured on New York Yankees and Minnesota Twins pregame shows, and even got a song in the Baseball Hall of Fame.

When the pandemic hit in spring of 2020 Jim launched his "Quarantine Cafe" live stream, bringing his music to the world when live music venues were shut down and people were shut in. 

A fiercely dedicated do-it-yourselfer, Jim records and releases albums, EPs, and singles on his own label, Door To Door Music. He designs the cover art, shoots and edits the videos, builds the website, and books the shows. Said Bill Snyder of the music magazine The Squealer: "If you still believe that the virtues of hard work are more important than money (and even if you still need to be convinced) the proof is on the tape."