Blind Pilot: The Extensive Interview

In the introduction to my story on Blind Pilot this week, I mentioned a gig they had at an organic farm 10 miles north of Portland. Yes, it was a birthday bash. And it was my first introduction to the band and its live act. But the thing was, I was there for the birthday, so felt a little strange talking with Blind Pilot while in the back of my mind thinking of story angles and simultaneously reminding myself to just relax and enjoy the evening. Being a scene reporter can get schizophrenic sometimes.

When I finally introduce myself to the dark-haired Israel Nebeker at the farm, his stomach is growling. “Do you know where I could get some food?” he asks. Rule #1 on a bike tour: You need energy, so bring plenty of snacks. Rule #2: Failing that, rely on the kindness of strangers. I offer Nebeker bread and cream cheese, which he wolfs down while other band mates join in.

Nebeker is a seemingly bashful fellow with a sensitive side. He’s not hard to engage in conversation, but he’s not a verbose self-promoter, either. Since they went through the trouble of paying a PR rep and all, I thought I'd arrange for a phone interview later the next week through their PR guy. What follows after the jump is that conversation. Also, to sample Blind Pilot's music ahead of their Sept. 3 gig at Sam Bond's, go to their MySpace page or tune in to Eugene Weekly's Signal:Noise music podcast, episodes 10 and 11.

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What are you doing this week to prepare for the bike tour?
It wasn’t in the plan, but today I’m finishing painting a house that’s taken way longer. I’m trying to earn some cash before I hit the road.

Will you cross into Mexico?
Our last show is in San Diego. We might step our toe across to say we went from border to border. I wanted us to go to Tijuana but that got shot down by the more cautious members of the band.

Will you be bringing back-up strings, back-up guitars, etc.?
(Laughs) No backup guitars, but yeah, backup strings for sure. Luckily, for most shows we play, I won’t have to play the hell out of my guitar to keep up with the drums and the bass, because when we’re not amplified I just tend to strum really hard and break strings.

Some bars can get notoriously loud and rowdy. Will you be using a PA when one’s available?
We’ll be bringing all the necessary equipment to plug into PAs, so pretty much any official show we play we’ll be amplified. But I’m sure we’ll also play some impromptu acoustic shows.

Documentary filmmakers are following you on your bike tour in their van. Will they provide logistical support, or just stand aside and document the highs and lows?
Luckily for us, in one sense of the word “lucky,” they don’t have a van. They have a little car, and it’s filled to the brim with their equipment so they don’t have room for anything of ours. I think it will be good so we won’t be tempted — when times get tough — to have them carry anything. Because I think that’s one of the funnest parts about it, that you’re making it on your own with your leg power and stuff. So that’ll go well.

They’re there to document your highs and lows along the way?
Yeah, right, they’re more interested in documenting something cool that we’re doing, rather than making a typical band documentary where they’re trying to capture drama or similar stuff like that. So I think that will turn out well. (Pause) Famous last words before we all, like, fight every day on camera or something.

It turns into a reality TV show…
(Laughs) Yeah, that’s the last thing I want to do.

So how have you been adjusting to the glowing reception 3 Rounds and a Sound has received in the press?
Yeah, we’ve been adjusting. But it’s easy to not let it change anything. Like for instance, I’m painting a house today to try and make some money. We’ve had some amazing write-ups and we’re super lucky for all the attention it’s got, but we’ve yet to feel like any change in our everyday lives. It’s kind of like, the bike tour scene is pretty much the same except for more attention.

Are you seeing much profits from selling your record?
Um, well … I’ll just say that we’ve sold a lot more albums than anyone’s anticipated.

As long as the some of the profits are coming to you … I’m always worried about artists getting the short stick.
We are in a strange moment where we haven’t yet seen any profit ourselves, but some people have. But eventually if things keep going the way they have we’ll have done well with the deal we signed.

And you’re seeking sponsors for your bike tour along the way?
Yeah, totally. We have a couple sponsors already. We’re hoping that, like … I guess we got the idea because people expressed to us, “You know, what you’re doing seems like it’s easy to get excited about and be a part of.” We’re hoping that enough smaller businesses or businesses of the same mindset will, you know, want to help us out and hopefully can benefit from it. We’re trying to think creatively because it is hard to just fund a band itself. Usually it requires dayjobs. But we’re trying to make it self-sufficient.

After you reach Mexico on Oct. 16: What happens next?
We’re going to go play at a music festival out in New York, I forget the acronym. [I’m guessing the CMJ Music Marathon running Oct. 21-25. — Chuck] Then we’re going to go on tour with Team Evil. Our vibraphone player plays in Team Evil, as well as some other members. We’re going to bring all nine of us, and they have a medium-sized setup, so I think there will be 13 people total. So we’re going to rent a 15-person bus and go from Chicago to New York.

And beyond that?
I have dreams of touring Europe or maybe going to Japan. Because the iTunes thing that happened in the U.S. is going to go up on iTunes in Japan next week.

The iTunes thing?
The thing that happened here, the iTunes Single of the Week, which really helped us out a ton. That was the main thing that got people’s attention, people that wouldn’t have ever heard of us. That is going to happen in Japan next week, it’s going to be Single of the Week. If all goes really well, I’ve always wanted to travel to Japan, it’d be really awesome to do that.

Are you working on new songs?
Actually, just yesterday we devoted a whole day to recording one of the new songs that’s going to be on the next album. It went well. I was surprised by how well it went in one day.

Was that recorded with all nine members?
Yeah. I’m hoping that a lot of the songs will kind of like — well, I’m hoping being on this bike tour will bring about new songs, but we have maybe close to half of our next album, too.

What’s the name of that new song you recorded?
It’s called “We Are The Tide,” so we’re trying to get Tide to sponsor us for this one. (Laughs)

I heard you play that song at the end of the Sauvie Island gig. It seemed like a sped-up song, even faster than “The Story I Heard,” and really worked the crowd into a dance frenzy.
Yeah, it is more upbeat and danceable and that’s where I wanted to take that song. I guess anytime you change directions it feels awkward at first. But I think it’s important to keep trying new things.

Both you and Ryan have roots in a variety of Oregon towns. What are your connections to Eugene?
Ryan and I met for the first time in Eugene while attending UO. And Ryan actually grew up in Eugene, went to high school there.

What did you study?
Ryan was a fine arts major, because he’s a painter and he still does that. And I studied voice and creative writing.

Did you graduate from UO?
Yeah, in 2005.

You spent the summer of 2006 living in a huge netshed warehouse in Astoria, Oregon. What was the plan for that?
We actually were recording that summer. We moved out there with the intent to work on a 5-song album that we did on our own and take it with us on our first bike tour.

How was living in Astoria?
It was awesome! It was so cool. Ryan had a little bit more fun than me, because he’d just like make paintings in the day, then play music for a while, then he’d take off. It was funny because I was so stoked to meet tons of people in Astoria and he ended up being the one who got to go out and party every night, while I was recording every night. It was when they were filming Into the Wild [Select scenes were shot outside of Astoria — Chuck] so he got to meet Sean Penn and all these amazing actors and movie people and then came back and told me, and I was like “Awww, I’m recording. I want to go out, too!” The setting there was so inspiring. All my favorite songs off 3 Rounds were written while living out there and just walking on the train tracks. I loved it.

Everyone seems to have their own uniquely favorite song off 3 Rounds and a Sound. What’s yours?
They kind of change. I guess I have favorite parts of the album. Like the very end part of “Bitter End” or maybe the trumpet sections of “Buried a Bone.” I think overall it may be “Poor Boy,” which I haven’t had anyone else say that was their favorite song …

I was just going to say, like my favorite is “Poor Boy”…
Oh really? That’s great. That’s great.

It’s actually changed around a lot, but that’s the one I’m gravitating toward right now. It has this Nick Drake feel to it, this nice lullaby …
It was just a happy accident that way because we recorded it pretty much the same way as other songs but for some reason it took on a different feel of its own. That makes me happiest about people’s responses to the album. I feel like different songs are resonating personally with people. And even this guy who wrote a review not long ago was like criticizing us pretty hard for being sort of naïve and not knowing that our one hit song was “One Red Thread,” and sort of calling us naïve and stupid for playing it first in our set. I take that as a compliment — that it resonates with him so personally.

Blind Pilot plays Wednesday, Sept. 3, at Sam Bond's. 21+. $3.