After three months holed up on sunny afternoons in the dingiest and
darkest of practice spaces, the band burst out with a fistful of songs
and unleashed them on an unsuspecting San Francisco audience, most of
which have come back for every show since. Soon they found themselves at Closer Recording with engineer
extraordinaire Dylan Magierek. In a three-day whirlwind, the Pilots
recorded and mixed their self-titled debut album--thirty minutes of
i...
more
In the beginning, Bass Runner
Mike Chopko and Time Gunner
Bill French
met on craigslist just like you and your girlfriend. Their first date
was in a bar and their second encounter ended in the bedroom at Mike's
apartment. But instead of making out, Bill beat the shit out of Mike's
drums while Mike punished some weird hollow-body guitar through an
amplifier that couldn't take the abuse. A few weeks later, Mike's buddy
Pat Wachter touched down in San Francisco, guitar in hand. And then the
three flew out of the starting gates at 115 per.
After three months holed up on sunny afternoons in the dingiest and
darkest of practice spaces, the band burst out with a fistful of songs
and unleashed them on an unsuspecting San Francisco audience, most of
which have come back for every show since.
Soon they found themselves at Closer Recording with engineer
extraordinaire Dylan Magierek. In a three-day whirlwind, the Pilots
recorded and mixed their self-titled debut album--thirty minutes of
intensely focused songs that kick and breathe as if they're alive.
With their first self-released album freshly printed, the Sky Pilots
felt like showing it off so they put a bunch of them in a box and sang
their own praises on their East Coast tour in November 2005. With 12
shows over two weeks, they honed the live experience into a one of
chaotic glory. One that threatens the fault lines every time it occurs.
One that calls to mind natural disasters of all varieties. One you must
be rocked by before the big one hits.
Sky Pilots are now completing songs for their next album, soon to be
recorded. In the meantime, look out for a Sky Pilots show near you.
Signs of a show may include smoke, downed planes, feverish cries from
residents, systems failure, and/or emergency crews.
It is time.
