The life of the Silversun Pickups, of late, has been akin to Dorothy clicking her heels and returning to Kansas in the classic movie “The Wizard of Oz.”
Not that after all the hoopla earlier this year when Silversun Pickups was nominated for the Best New Artist Grammy — and lost to the Zac Brown Band but got to sit not far behind Lady Gaga — the guys are back on the road.
“You wake up in the morning, think, ‘That was weird,’ and go back to work,” lead singer Brian Aubert said about how the return to normal life feels. “It was very fun and we had a bit of time off for the first time in quite a while … but when it was all done, it was nice to get back to work. It’s sort of like taking the Christmas tree down.”
One reason Silversun Pickups has built such a loyal following since the 2009 release of “Swoon” is that the band are always on the road. That’s not easy for bands that lament the lack of downtime, but a solid work ethic is one of the main components of the Silversun Pickups. Not surprising when you consider the band’s concerts won it a solid fan base long before it began to record.
“We are still having a love affair with it,” Aubert said about touring. “Swimming in minute things is new and exciting for us now. On the road it is exciting as it gets. … You start feeling yourself extract things from songs that weren’t there [originally].”
If you go
Silversun Pickups
Where: DAR Constitution Hall, 1776 D St. NW
When: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday
Info: $31; ticketmaster.com
Soon, though, the bandmates will come together again to begin to write and record their “Swoon” follow-up. They don’t write on the road, Aubert said, noting the “massive duality” between extroverted concert musicians and introspective and creative songwriters. “The live show is so immediate,” he said. “It exists and then it is over. Then when you hit a wall you turn around and hole up and write. It’s very exciting to have two very different identities.”
Although he won’t tip his hand about what might be on the next album — indicating he might be as surprised as anyone when the creative juices are unleashed — he isn’t shy about what he personally loves in music.
“To me the best bands are Radiohead and Wilco,” he said. “Those people putting high art in every record. They are true, true artists.”
