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Why did you start Aeroplane Company around two years ago?
When I was in eighth grade, my parents let me have their old computer. I downloaded this sketchy program called Darkwave Studio and all the free VST [plug-ins] I could get my hands on and made some truly terrible electronic music on that computer. But it was fun and gradually that music got less terrible. A couple years ago, I was digging through some of those songs and it reignited my interest in making music just for the sake of trying things and experimenting with new ideas.
Previously, it seems that your EPs/singles have all referenced space (i.e. the eclipse, Apollo 7 and 13). What led you to change that focus for "Summit Hill?"
So fun fact, "Summit Hill" started as a space-themed album. I was going to write a song for all nine planets and the Eclipse EP was going to be the promotion for it; then Sufjan Stevens basically did the same thing and I didn't want to come off like a copycat. It ended up being a nice challenge for me because in my mind, synthesizers equal space. Changing focus from space allowed me to work in a different head space and come up with different sounds.
How did you translate your inspirations for the new album into actual songs?
Whenever I write Aeroplane Company songs, I think of them as the score of an imaginary movie. My main goal is always to capture a vibe. I wasn't in any of the places I wrote about during the making of this album, so I'm interested to see if listening to the songs while in those places elicits the feelings I intended.
What can you say about the sound of "Summit Hill?"
"Summit Hill" is definitely the most electic thing I've ever done, but that's not saying much because it's also the longest project I've ever put out under the Aeroplane Company moniker. It's also the most "in the box" AC stuff I've done. Usually I try to work a guitar or bass into a song, but I think guitars only ended up in the background of "Glass Stadium." There's a lot of darker sounds on here too. I used a lot of distortions or compressed things way too hard to get them to distort. Somewhere in the process of making the record, I kind of threw song structure out the window. In the past, I've tended to start with a simple phrase and then build and build as the song progresses, but on several songs, I opted to use several simple phrases and give them their own section of the song.
How does the way you approach an Aeroplane Company song differ from Cureton, Angry Tortilla, etc.?
Aeroplane Company is really nice because it doesn't have a defined sound and I'm the only one it has to appeal to. When i write for Cureton, I'm trying to write songs that appeals to both Caleb and I that don't stray too far from pop or rock. Angry Tortilla has been aimed in an alternative pop direction, since it's mainly a remix project. Aeroplane Company's definitely the easiest of the three. It's stress-relief music for me. I don't take it very seriously.
What do you hope to accomplish with this record?
None of these songs are really designed to be radio singles or stadium rockers. I'd say if one person other than myself listens to these songs and it triggers memories or makes them feel a little something, I've done morn than intended. It feels selfish, but these songs were really written for me. But music can transcend its creator's intentions, and I'd be honored if the sounds I made resonate with someone else.
Did your time in Nashville, away from home, affect what you wanted the album to say and mean?
Absolutely yes. Nashville is a nice city, but I realized that it's not for me. I found myself missing weird things like angry Minneapolis drivers, getting copious amounts of mosquito bites, and being passive-aggressive. Those all sound like complaints, but they're not. They're just part of being home.
Where do you see Aeroplane Company going after the release of the album?
I'm really happy to be putting out a longer release under the Aeroplane Company name. I'd really like to do more long-form projects like this. I think it'd be fun to score a film or even write an album to accompany a short story or book. Maybe write something ridiculous and out there in the vein of [Electric Light Orchestra's] "Time." I don't take Aeroplane Company super seriously - it's more of a fun project to me, so I'm willing to try just about anything with it.
Any chance of a Cureton "reunion" any time soon?
Lord willing, there will be new Cureton music by the end of 2018. A couple weeks ago, we talked about making a children's album in the style of mewithouYou.
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