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LA-via-Brooklyn rockers Semi Precious Weapons will release their full-length album Aviation this Spring. GroundSounds caught up with bassist Cole Whittle to discuss the band’s history, music, and plans for 2014. Check out the interview and stream “Aviation High” below!
GS: How did you meet and form the band?
CW: We all met at music school in Boston, became close friends, and moved to NYC as fast as we could. We formed the band because our new metropolitan reality was more boring than we had hoped. Starting a wild new rock & roll band was just the coolest thing we could think of to do beside robbing banks.
Where did the name Semi Precious Weapons come from?
I thought of 2 names and called my dad, who is really fuckin cool. He hated one name so i knew it had to be the other. I called the band and said that we were gonna be called ‘Semi Precious Weapons’.
Tell us about your new album Aviation. How long was it in the making and what was your goal for it?
Aviation is the album we always hoped we could make. It has taken far too long to get it out, due to forces beyond our control, but we are so excited to soon be playing these songs for crowds.. all the crowds. Having lived and seen so much crazy shit in the last few years, I feel like it all got channeled into the music.
What was the experience like working with Tricky Stewart?
Tricky was always a musical hero of ours. We would drive around in our miserable punk van saying ‘if only Tricky could hear us, he would understand where our music could go.’ Somehow he did and he did. Law of attraction or some fancy shit.
I really enjoy the anthemic nature of “Aviation High.” What was the inspiration for this song?
The song “Aviation High” is about being so caught in a feeling that it carries you upward. You can be as high on a person as a drug or a jetpack or all of the above….that untouchably alive feeling.
Do you have a song from the album that stands out as a favorite?
All the songs are such different shades of who we are. There are wild ones, sad ones, fashiony ones. If i wanna break a bottle, ‘ Drink’. If i wanna break a heart, ‘Healed’. They all stand out for us, but I feel ‘Aviation High’ guides us through it all.
Are you a band that has a clear ultimate goal, or is it more of an “enjoy the ride, whatever happens, happens” mentality?
We have always and will always want to be the biggest band in the world. So i guess maybe thats a simple, subtle answer.
The musical influences you list are very diverse, which I always find interesting. If you had to narrow it down to one musician/band that has influenced or impacted the way you create music the most, who would you choose?
100% without a doubt our biggest influence past present or future is the muppet baby band. They bring the heat every moment and the gig never stops.
What is the biggest difference living in LA as compared to Brooklyn? What do you like most here and what do you miss most about NY?
Los Angeles is a place where you can rent a cheap house, write songs in it all day, and still be in a city where big things happen. That was the only way we could have made this album. NYC is still the place that created us and it is always exciting to go back and retrace our drunken steps.
2014 will be a big year for you with the album release. What else do you have planned this year?
All we wanna do is be on stage day and night playing these songs for people who hopefully heard us on the radio. Thats the plan.
Where is the best place to stay updated with you online?
Our Facebook page will tell you everything you need to stalk us or avoid us or join us.
Semi Precious Weapons – “Aviation High”
