TMTTP

Take Me To The Pilot

Winnipeg

After the release of their sophomore EP, ‘What Makes You’, Take Me To The Pilot decided to head back to the drawing board. Two EPs, multiple singles and music videos, and three years of touring Canada had left them feeling stuck in a pop-rock rut. So, after their first-ever US tour in the spring of 2013 the band decided to take some time off from the road to focus on making some much-needed revisions. ‘We spent a lot of time rushing to accomplish things like booking tours, making videos, promoting ourselves to the point where writing songs was taking a back seat to all the other stuff we had going on’ says singer/guitarist Mike Bilenki. ‘We needed to focus. Quit putting ourselves on a schedule and let the songs come naturally with as little outside pressure as possible. That’s how the best music is produced.’ So after returning from the States the foursome, consisting of Adam Brown on bass and vocals, Eric Grabowecky on guitar and Jonathan James on drums, not only made writing their main priority - it became their ONLY priority. The band took some time off from the stage and the spotlight, with Bilenki (the group’s primary songwriter) writing furiously, collaborating with numerous other talent and flying to Toronto and Los Angeles to try and put together the best material possible, material that would help cement the band’s identity in the music scene. ‘We all went through a lot of changes since the last EP was released’ Bilenki states, ‘And we found ourselves in a place where we had to sit down and go okay, what kind of band do we want to be? What kind of career do we want to have? What kind of music do we want to make? We hashed it out and then we went for it.’ The first release from the aforementioned sessions, What They Ask For, reflects that attitude. The song is an upbeat, infectious anthem, paying homage to all the risks and rewards that come with doing what you’re passionate about with a beat, composed by Toronto-based producers/writers The Rezza Brothers (Lupe Fiasco, Nikki Yavlonsky) that simply can’t be denied. But as excited as TMTTP are to release this single, it’s what lies ahead that’s really got them buzzing. Rather than release an EP or an album, the Winnipeg foursome have elected instead to release multiple singles over the course of the next year, a strategy which Bilenki feels reflects the changing landscape of the music business. ‘I read an article in Variety about Katy Perry’s new record that basically made the argument that the full-length album was a dying art’ Bilenki states. ‘I don’t necessarily agree with that as a blanket statement, but it got me thinking about our current situation as an independent act with limited resources. Ultimately doing an entire record takes time, money, and effort that seems misplaced when you think that these days it’s a single that will make or break how that record performs. If you do 7 songs, it’s only going to take one. So why bother with the other six? We’re not a band that wants to do filler, we want to put our best foot forward at all times. So releasing singles just made sense - if the first one doesn’t take, whatever. We’ll just put out another, then another, then another. We can do this all day.’ Along with the release of the single TMTTP are currently working on a video treatment for the track, as well as a short run of Eastern-Canada tour dates that will get them back where they belong: onstage in front of their fans. ‘More than anything we love to play live.’ Bilenki says, smiling. ‘We’ve spent almost four years on the road perfecting our show, and right now is the sharpest we’ve been. We’ve got our best music ever coming at you, and if you come see a show you’re going to see four guys at the top of their game. Can’t lose.’