Preview
PILATE
Monday, November 10
The Whiskey
Tuesday, November 11
Wild Bill's, Banff
Can radio kill the video star? Pilate will just have to wait and see.
After releasing their video for "Into Your Hideout," the band was greeted with a lot of attention. The video had the filmic scope of a sweeping, big-budget romance, but it also had the model miniatures from John Travolta’s colossal bomb Battlefield Earth. The apocalyptic visuals and Hollywood connection made it possible for Pilate to get serious rotation on Much Music and promote their first full-length album, caught by the window.
However, Pilate is realistic about the exposure that they've been getting. "The video ended up getting us radio play," says lead vocalist Todd Clark. "Radio is more important. You can have ten or twenty thousand people listening to your song at one time."
In their short history Pilate has recieved a crash course on the inner workings of the music industry. caught by the window has been a learning experience on the subject of big business. Release dates, publicists and a saturated marketplace were all new to the band.
Pilate's record company, Maple Music, suggested the band delay the release of their CD to avoid the mayhem of the summer’s major label releases, so the band had to wait until autumn before touring. Having your fate in other people's hands was a frustrating experience, but one the band now realizes was beneficial for their current success. Pilate ended up getting more airplay and learned an important introductory lesson – sometimes the professionals do know best.
"If you have a decent product, you need to hook up with the right people," says Clark. "The key in learning anything is finding people that know what they are talking about."
Clark admits that Pilate’s learn-as-they-go approach has a bit to do with luck "Most of our experiences of being in a band (come from) this whole process. We've been together three or four years. It's a relatively short term and most of those experiences have happened this past year."
The members of Pilate share almost no personal history and came together via online ads and through friends of friends. While the sense of starting fresh comes with a certain amount of musical freedom, it does have its limitations.
"The chemistry has to be there," says guitarist Chris Greenough. "With strangers, sometimes it doesn't always work. There is something about being in bands with friends forever. You're more inhibited with people you don't know, especially with songwriting."
Though Pilate had essentially broken up after recording their first EP, when their drummer left, Clark and Greeenough’s optimism prevailed. Though the band is proud of their album they are now dealing with the consequences of a somewhat exhausting, lonesome way of life. Clark especially feels the adverse effects of touring.
"I have regrets about doing this. You're so involved. It becomes the main thing in your life and you have blinders on.
"You have to ask yourself, is all the stuff I've given up worth it for this? Most days, the answer is yeah. Everyone in the world wants the opportunity you have."
But the stakes are definitely higher now. Every show, interview and personal appearance counts, and the pressure can put a strain on enthusiasm. Pilate is careful about monitoring their success and wary of the critics who want to compare their sound to Radiohead, Coldplay and U2 – so much so that the simplest question about the album or personal musical tastes are answered with the concentration of someone trying to pass a lie detector test.
"The last thing I wanted to do was go home after recording and listen to something similar," says Greenough. "I certainly wasn't cranking Radiohead or Coldplay. I was into Grandaddy. That got a lot of play."
The band admits that although the comparison of musical styles is a valid one, they did not intend to become a Canadian version of U.K. super-groups.
"We knew if we didn't figure out a way to make the album edgy, that it might come across sounding soft and almost generic, like a lot of bands we get compared to," says Greenough. "It's funny how different instruments can change the vibe. 'Collide' was a really melancholic tune, but you throw a banjo in there and it's almost tongue and cheek. It's a little more playful and happier." |
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