Short Biography
Let’s face it, when it comes to truly transcendent art, quantification can be futile and unnecessary. Although it may sound like hyperbole for the uninitiated, that rule directly applies to Idiot Pilot’s latest disc, Wolves, a truly groundbreaking affair that incorporates elements of post-hardcore, shoegazing rock, and eerie electronic into a traditional pop context to create a unique amalgam of music that’s just as innovative as it is accessible.
Michael Harris and Daniel Anderson attended middle school together in Bellingham, Washington, and formed their first “run-of-the-mill pop band” when they were just 12 years old. However, it wasn’t until a few years later when Anderson became interested in abstract electronic acts, such as Squarepusher and U-Ziq, that Idiot Pilot was conceived. Recorded on pirated software in Anderson’s bedroom when the duo was still in its teens, the group’s self-produced debut disc, Strange We Should Meet Here, was unexpectedly picked up by Seattle radio stations and sparked a bidding war that eventually led it to being re-released on Reprise Records in 2005.
Although their debut-as well as a tour with Team Sleep and a stint on Rockstar Taste Of Chaos -was well-received, no one could have expected what the band would achieve with their second album, Wolves. Produced by Ross Robinson (At The Drive-In, Glassjaw) - who, ironically, contacted the band weeks before he received a package from them in the mail - and co-produced by Mark Hoppus (bassist +44, Blink 182), the album was recorded over a four-month period earlier this year and takes the duo’s sound to cinematic levels in both scope and vision. “What was important to me was that Ross was always very concerned about the spirit of the song,” Harris explains, painting Robinson more as a guru than producer.
Although the band and producer butted heads due to Harris and Anderson’s perfectionist tendencies, ultimately Wolves is that much stronger for its omniscient sense of tension. “We love and respect Ross, but the way that we operate is that everyone’s opinion is offered up and then we reach a specific compromise,” Harris explains about the way these two 21-year-olds have been collaborating for nearly a decade. “I think we’re probably one of the more difficult bands he’s worked with because we have such a strong idea of what we want,” he continues. “It was definitely important for us to let go of certain aspects and let him have his take on things-and I think that made the record better.”
In addition to working in a real studio, Wolves marks the first time both Harris and Anderson were completely collaborative musically, with each playing various instruments on the record. It’s also the first Idiot Pilot release to feature live drums, courtesy of Blink-182/Transplants drummer Travis Barker on “Elephant” and the Dillinger Escape Plan’s Chris Pennie on the remaining tracks (the band plan on touring with a drummer in addition to their laptop to support Wolves, another first). “When we called Chris, I was surprised to hear how into the record he was based on his previous work,” Anderson explains, referring to Pennie’s bent for technical jazz-tinged metal. “It was a very different vibe than just getting a hired drummer; he was very much a part of the process.”
To be honest, Anderson shouldn’t be too surprised why anyone wouldn’t love Wolves. The soaring symphonic opener “Last Chance” will hook listeners immediately; anthemic rockers such as “In Record Shape” and “Red Museum” will lull them into a false sense of security that is eventually shattered by cathartic screams; and more straight-ahead down-tempo tracks, such as “Theme From The Pit,” prove that despite the band’s well-placed aggressive tendencies, when all the sonic layers are peeled back, there’s a pop foundation at the heart of Idiot Pilot that keeps them grounded while their music arcs toward the stratosphere.
Indeed, in many ways Wolves marks a reinvention for Idiot Pilot, who have already experienced breakout success in Europe. “I definitely feel like this album is a huge progression for us, and I’m just excited to see what happens next,” Harris says. “This planet has only a few things that interest me-and music is the one thing that I will always be working on no matter what financial state I’m in,” he says. “If I go broke making music, I don’t care. This is what we live for.”