Review & Interview: Pilotdrift

Water Sphere
Good Records Recordings

If the Electric Light Orchestra courted Queen, each deciding to combine their talents and expertise to create a Broadway musical, the resulting soundtrack would be Pilotdrift's Water Sphere, released on the Good Records Recordings imprint owned by Tim deLaughter and Julie Doyle of The Polyphonic Spree.

From the opening notes of "Caught In My Trap," one can conjure images apropos for each song. This climaxes with the epic "Jekyll and Hyde Suite," and concludes with the quirky, yet infectious and dramatic "So Long." When the curtain falls, one cannot help but search for a lighter, raise it to the sky, and flick away.

Kelly Carr (lead vocals, piano, acoustic guitar, and chief songwriter) has crafted the ultimate escape from the daily grind. Water Sphere, while not a concept album per se, has an introduction, body, and conclusion, which would make for a literary masterpiece. Combined with a musical proclivity that harkens bands such as Styx, of course, Sgt. Pepper Beatles, and Andrew Lloyd Webber, Carr and Pilotdrift have shaped an opus that will have one screaming both "Bravo!" and "Encore!"

On TGB scale, Water Sphere earns an encore from the Sun!!!

TGB recently spoke with drummer Ben Rice of Pilotdrift.

Describe the band's relationship with Tim DeLaughter and Julie Doyle.

Well, oddly enough, our relationship has been more than the usual label/client relationship in the sense that they have taken us under their wing in a sort of way, and our relationship with them has far surpassed any business level, and has wonderfully enough become a relationship with similarities often found in that of a parent and child. And as strange as that may sound, I'm specifically drawing from specific instances to where they have been as supportive and encouraging to us as a parent would be. With eyes glazed over with tears, and a smile from ear to ear, we have seen from both Tim and Julie after many a show upon its conclusion. And having that sort of belief from a label is worth as much and more than promotional dollars and priceless connections.

Let's talk about Kelly's musical vision. Do you, as drummer, have tobe ablee to get inside his head to interpret that vision? Or is it simply, 'Okay, Ben, here's the song. Now do this.'?

I would say that as a drummer, I definitely try to get in his head to get a peak at the picture he's painting, and from there, I try to collaboratively shape the piece of the puzzle that is my own to the shape best-fitted for the picture that the song should create. So yes, it is more than just playing some beats here and there that sound cool. Ha. I definitely want to add my contribution that will musically give character and structure to the vision Kelly has.

'Water Sphere' is such a grand piece of work. Kelly Carr called it "a little movie rental store." What movies do you see when listening to the album?

I see bits of Pulp Fiction, bits of the X-files, bits of Vanilla Sky, and maybe a few scenes from The Simpsons.

When the band put these songs on tape, did it require each musician to see the piece as well as hear it?

Yes, most definitely. And that is due most in part that we write and record simultaneously. And if each of our contributions were nothing more than just blind, default, musical notes and rhythms, then the vision would never be captured in any adequate fashion whatsoever.

CMJ wrote, "Small towns sure have a funny way of causing little boys to think big." Would you agree?

I could definitely agree to that. I guess in any environment, especially those small in nature, one would have two choices: 1. Live in comfort, without any desire to grow beyond your boundaries, be it musically, mentally, literally, or spiritually; or 2. to have a certain drive that leads you toward all that this world, in a literal sense, has to offer, and what we as individuals can offer back to it. We've always chosen the latter.

I'm having a difficult time seeing this music transferred to the stage.
a. Can you replicate it?
b. Do you try to replicate it exactly? and;
c. What, if anything, do you have to lose to get a pure sound?

Yes, we can and do replicate it. And yes, we do try to replicate it exactly, and we do so successfully with the exception of two things that we sample, those of which being the electronic beat found in 'Passenger Seat,' and the children's choir found in 'So Long.' And if we could have that choir perform with us at every show, we would definitely do so! And as far as losing something so that a pure sound is not sacrificed, I'm not quite sure what inhibitions would be present towards a pure sound in our successful pursuits of replicating what has been laid down on tape.

Obviously, a band has to have confidence in what they do, but was this album a roll of the dice?

I wouldn't say that it was a roll of the dice necessarily, but despite our confidence both together and in Kelly's leadership, I'd be lying if I didn't admit that we were slightly worried, or better described, anxiously curious towards the response we would get.

Did it help that you are from a small town? Do you think you would have been lost in the myriad of sounds in the big city?

Honestly, it's hard to say for sure, but I could definitely see the advantages of being in a small town, for there is a certain obscure quality of location that makes a band's music and story very interesting. So to answer your question, yes, maybe.

The album is a tremendous accomplishment, and I wish you nothing but success. What are the plans for the coming months?

Our plans consist of hardly anything more than overwhelming feelings of exploding anxiety as we await the opportunities to tour and perform. But in this waiting period we're in, we're going to make the most of our idle time, and start working on recording some new material for a release in the distant future.

www.pilotdrift.com
Good Records: www.goodrecordsrecordings.com